Houthis Seize Red Sea Islands Near Vital Shipping Chokepoint
Yemen's Houthi militants captured Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, tightening their grip on a critical Red Sea shipping lane amid oil supply fears.
Yemen's Houthi militants have seized two strategically positioned islands in the Red Sea, a move that analysts warn could further destabilize global shipping and accelerate a looming oil supply crunch. The group took control of Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, located near the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait, through which a significant share of international maritime trade passes.
The latest seizure is part of a rapid Houthi territorial advance along Yemen's Red Sea coastline. The Iran-backed group had previously captured the port of Mokha and Perim island, also situated at the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint, establishing a growing foothold over one of the world's most commercially sensitive waterways.
Read more Dow Jones Hovers Near 52,400 Support Amid Bearish Pressure →
Control of these islands enhances the Houthis' capacity to monitor, threaten, or interdict vessel traffic transiting between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden — a corridor critical to energy exports moving between the Middle East and European markets. Analysts are raising alarms that the group's expanding maritime position could compound existing pressures on global oil supplies.
The developments underscore the broader geopolitical risk premium now attached to Red Sea shipping, as carriers and insurers weigh exposure in the region. Any sustained disruption at the Bab al-Mandab strait would force vessels onto significantly longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, adding transit time and cost to global supply chains.
Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.
