Within hours, Riyadh saw its strategic East–West Pipeline to the Red Sea struck by drones and the Houthis seize Perim Island inside the Bab el-Mandeb. With the Strait of Hormuz already under pressure, Saudi Arabia is confronting simultaneous risks to the routes designed to keep its oil flowing — while its emerging security architecture with Turkey and Pakistan faces a real-world test.
The fall of Mocha and the Houthi advance toward Perim Island, the Hanish archipelago and Bab al-Mandeb are no longer just another episode in Yemen’s civil war. They mark a shift in the balance of power around one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, with direct implications for Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States, global shipping and the Horn of Africa.
The Houthis are gaining ground around the strategic island of Perim at the heart of Bab el-Mandeb, just as the Strait of Hormuz remains under severe pressure and Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline has faced disruption. Washington now confronts a dangerous choice: open another military front in Yemen or accept a stronger Iran-aligned pressure point over two of the world’s most critical energy arteries.
