Houthi fighters took the island of Perim, in Yemen, after the withdrawal of government forces from the region. The conquest represents a significant expansion of the Houthi presence in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait.
With this conquest, the Houthis consolidated control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait, one of the world's most important maritime routes. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is fundamental to international trade.
Added to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the situation places about one third of world maritime trade under the control of forces hostile to the West. This concentration of strategic naval routes under adversarial control represents a significant shift in the regional naval power balance.
