Houthis seize Red Sea islands, tighten grip on vital shipping route

The Houthi rebels have consolidated their hold on key maritime chokepoints by taking control of Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, according to statements from rebel officials on Monday. The seizure represents a significant expansion of the group's influence over one of the world's most critical shipping corridors, through which global trade and energy supplies regularly transit.

The capture of the islands comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces attempt to reverse territorial losses to the rapidly advancing rebels around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway serves as a crucial alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's traded oil and gas normally passes during peacetime.

Adding to regional energy concerns, repairs to a major Saudi Arabian oil pipeline that sustained damage in an attack last week are expected to take between three to five weeks, according to regional officials. The extended outage could further strain global oil supplies and exert additional pressure on international markets already affected by regional instability.

The Houthi advances underscore the escalating tensions in the Red Sea region and the broader Middle East, with the rebels' expanding maritime capabilities raising concerns among international shipping and energy markets about the security of key global trade routes.