Yemen’s Houthi militants have seized the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, according to government and Houthi officials who spoke to the Associated Press [1]. The seizure tightens the Iran-backed group’s grip around the Bab al-Mandab shipping route, a chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the open ocean and Saudi Arabia’s key Asian markets.
The capture of the Hanish islands follows a rapid Houthi advance across Yemen’s western coast that began on September 3, according to Middle East Eye [2]. Houthi forces captured the port city of Mokha and Perim Island, also known as Mayyun Island, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait before moving on to the Hanish islands, the report stated [3][4]. The Associated Press reported that the seizure came as Saudi-backed government forces were trying to regroup and respond to the Houthis’ fast-paced advances [1].
Analysts quoted in the reports said the territorial gains reinforce the Houthi movement’s ability to control a key shipping route and raise concerns about global oil supplies. The islands lie approximately 160 kilometers north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a waterway used for oil exports from Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest exporter, according to the report [5]. Freightos, a data provider cited by FreightWaves, said container lines are restoring more Suez Canal and southern Red Sea capacity despite a widening Houthi threat [6].
Houthi Advance Expands Control Near Bab al-Mandab
The Hanish islands are located in the Red Sea shipping lanes near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical 20-mile-wide maritime passage that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden [7][7]. According to the report, the strait has become a geopolitical flashpoint, impacting global trade, energy security and regional stability due to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels [7].
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government is trying to claw back territory captured by Houthi forces in recent days, according to officials cited by the Associated Press [8]. The reports said that the Houthi advance puts their forces about 32 kilometers from a U.S. military base in Djibouti, on the other side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait [9]. Saudi Arabia has been on high alert, with air alerts reported daily, officials said [10]. The Houthi leadership has said it is not seeking to block all commercial shipping in the Red Sea, only Saudi-linked ships [9]. The group has said it poses no threat to international shipping but has reiterated threats to target vessels from Saudi Arabia [9].
Military geography in the area has changed within a matter of days, according to an analysis published by RT [5]. The Houthis have seized control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline after an 18-hour offensive, Al Jazeera reported, citing the advance that followed government forces pulling back from Mocha [4]. Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run television channel, reported that Houthi fighters entered the strategic port city as the group continues its advance [11]. The reports indicate the Houthis have captured as much as 130 kilometers (81 miles) of Yemen’s strategically important coastline, according to some estimates cited by the BBC [12].
Pipeline Outage and Oil Market Response
Experts warned that the closure of Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline could take weeks to fully repair, according to officials cited in the reports [13]. Research company Rystad Energy said an average of 2.6 million to four million barrels of oil a day moved through the pipeline and out of the port of Yanbu since late August, a volume now at risk of disappearing from the market [13].
Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said the big question for traders is the duration of the east-west outage. “Any prolonged disruption and the associated supply loss could easily push prices to the next level higher,” Waterer said [13]. Janiv Shah, vice-president of oil markets for Rystad Energy, noted the recent jump in Brent prices proved the market was already responding to a significant loss of supply [13]. Brent crude oil rose 1.17% to $106.92 a barrel on Tuesday morning, while the average price of diesel in the U.S. hit $6 per gallon for the first time last week [13]. ZeroHedge reported that Brent crude futures jumped overnight after Saudi Arabia shut its East-West pipeline following drone attacks, threatening a critical route for bypassing the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint and a loss of what could amount to 4% of global supply [14].
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said Friday that stock buffers that shielded the system earlier this year have been played out and that it is harder to envision a scenario where prices soften quickly. “I think the risks remain to the upside over the next few months,” Wirth said [13]. According to a report by Piper Sandler global energy strategist Jan Stuart, the physical oil market is flashing major warning signs, including disrupted exports, depleted inventories, and an ongoing diesel shortage crisis, all converging ahead of stronger fourth-quarter demand [15]. The report stated that Saudi Arabia’s export squeeze is becoming a major problem, with the kingdom’s crude shipments remaining halved [15]. Saudi Arabia has canceled some oil shipments to Europe after the drone attacks forced the shutdown of its key East-West pipeline, Reuters reported, adding to mounting pressure on global crude supplies [16]. Several of the world’s largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the Red Sea, according to reports [17].
Regional Security and Humanitarian Displacement
A series of Houthi attacks using ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 civilians on Monday, according to reports [18]. The Houthis have also attacked a Saudi air base with missiles and drones, claiming major damage, according to ZeroHedge [10]. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, citing the group’s health ministry, said at least 32 people had been killed in Saudi strikes on Yemen’s Al Jawf over the past two days [19].
The International Organization for Migration said nearly 94,000 people in Yemen have fled their homes since fighting between the Houthis and government forces escalated this month [9]. About 200 schools have been converted to shelters in south-western Yemen to absorb an influx of families, the International Rescue Committee said [9]. More than 2,000 people have reportedly fled across the sea into Djibouti, according to the report [9]. The conflict has intensified, with government forces launching attacks against Houthi rebels along the Red Sea and Houthis firing into neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s government [8].
Riyadh is also grappling with attacks on a critical oil pipeline by Iran-allied militants in Iraq, officials said [13]. The East-West Pipeline, which spans approximately 745 miles across the Arabian Peninsula, has functioned as Saudi Arabia’s primary export route since the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict [20][21]. Saudi Arabia shut down the pipeline on Friday after multiple drone attacks, the kingdom’s Energy Ministry announced, stating the closure was a precautionary measure [22]. The report stated that Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack [22].
Conclusion: Market and Geopolitical Uncertainty
Analysts said the market remains sensitive to any prolonged disruption in Saudi oil shipments and Red Sea shipping. Officials have estimated it could take weeks to repair the East-West pipeline, leaving the duration of the supply loss uncertain [13]. The Houthi leadership has said its targeting is limited to Saudi-linked ships, but shipping and energy markets continue to respond to the threat [9].
Wirth said Friday that he expects the risks to remain to the upside over the next few months [13]. The stock buffers that existed in the system earlier this year, shielding the world from the worst effects of an oil shock by limiting price increases, have now largely disappeared, according to the report [13]. Since the war began in February, countries have released some crude stockpiles to the market, and the U.S. also lifted restrictions on oil stored on ships floating at sea from countries under sanctions. Those buffers have now been “played out,” Wirth said [13].
Vice President JD Vance said Monday that Washington was in direct contact with the Houthis as the group solidified its gains across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, arguing that the U.S. is “on top of” the rapidly deteriorating situation [23]. “We’ve been in constant contact with the Emiratis, the Saudis, and others who are affected in the region,” Vance told reporters [23]. The Houthis have said they pose no threat to international shipping but have reiterated their threat to target vessels from Saudi Arabia [9].
References
- “Houthis seize key Hanish islands in southern Red Sea”. Middle East Eye. September 14, 2026.
- “Can fractured pro-government forces stop the Houthi advance in Yemen?”. Middle East Eye. September 14, 2026.
- “Houthis Capture Strategic Island in Bab al-Mandab Strait”. NTD. September 12, 2026.
- “In a significant strategic gain, Houthis claim control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline”. Middle East Eye. September 11, 2026.
- Murad Sadygzade. “A new strait crisis is brewing in the Red Sea”. RT. September 15, 2026.
- “Houthi gains deepen risk as carriers restore Red Sea services”. FreightWaves. September 15, 2026.
- Arsenio Toledo. “Bab el-Mandeb Strait: How targeted Houthi attacks and geopolitical tensions helped strangle shipping through this strategic chokepoint”. NaturalNews.com. January 21, 2025.
- “Fighting in Yemen intensifies, and Houthis launch more attacks on Saudi Arabia”. NewsNation. September 13, 2026.
- “Iran-backed Houthis reportedly reach strategic island in key global shipping route”. BBC. September 11, 2026.
- “Houthis Unleash Major Missile Barrage On Saudi Arabia’s Sprawling King Khalid Air Base”. ZeroHedge. September 14, 2026.
- “Houthis claim control of strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait”. RT. September 12, 2026.
- “Lightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran war”. BBC. September 11, 2026.
- “The Outlook Is Getting Grimmer By The Day For Oil Exports From The Red Sea”. The War Zone. September 12, 2026.
- “Oil Surges As Saudi Pipeline Crisis Puts 4% Of Global Supply At Risk; Bernstein Warns Of $150 Crude”. ZeroHedge. September 14, 2026.
- “Piper Sandler Sounds Alarm: Shrinking Oil Buffers To Collide With Winter Demand”. ZeroHedge. September 11, 2026.
- “Saudi Arabia cancels oil shipments to Europe after pipeline attack – Reuters”. RT. September 15, 2026.
- “Trends-Journal-2024-02-07”.
- “US destroyer intercepts drone missile attacks launched by Houthi rebels toward Israel”. NaturalNews.com. December 29, 2023.
- “Houthis Continue Attacks on Southern Saudi Cities for 2nd Day”. The Epoch Times. September 10, 2026.
- Charlotte Dennett. “The Crash of Flight 3804”.
- “Saudi Arabia May Run Out of Oil Stocks if East-West Pipeline Not Restarted Within Days, Report Says”. NaturalNews.com. September 14, 2026.
- “Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Oil Pipeline as Houthis Tighten Grip on Red Sea Shipping”. NTD. September 12, 2026.
- “Vance claims US ‘on top’ of Red Sea crisis. Houthis say otherwise.”. Responsible Statecraft. September 15, 2026.
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