Houthis surround Bab el-Mandeb Strait as Saudi confirms attack

Houthi fighters reached Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, as the group sought to tighten its grip on the crucial shipping route.

The advance followed the withdrawal of Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces from the island of Perim, according to Reuters.

The Yemeni Iran-aligned Houthis also now control the nearby coastal town of Dhubab, located on the mainland of the Red Sea.

On Thursday, the Houthis struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, a vital facility carrying crude oil from the country’s eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The projectiles hit pumping sites along the pipeline and caused fires. Satellite imagery showed damage at several locations, with the U.S. assessing that the drones originated from Iraq.

In a statement on Friday, Saudi Arabia condemned the targeting of the East-West pipeline, confirming the drones were launched from Iraq.

The Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that it has “chosen not to respond at this stage, in support of the Iraqi government’s efforts.”

The nation urged Iraq to take urgent steps to prevent further attacks, adding that it would deploy necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, and facilities.