Houthis Seize the Hanish Islands in the Red Sea: Spokesman Says Saudi Jets Carried Out 58 Airstrikes in 24 Hours

Yemen’s Houthis have taken control of Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni government officials said, in another territorial advance that strengthens the Iran-backed group’s control over key sea routes.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared that Saudi warplanes had carried out 58 airstrikes in six provinces over the past 24 hours, in an attempt to halt the offensive. Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces have struck Houthi equipment and fighters in the Dhubab and al-Khokha areas along the Red Sea coast.

The capture of the Hanish islands comes after the seizure of Perim Island and the port of Mokha last week, which gave the group practical control of almost the entire western coast of Yemen along the Red Sea and put the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait under direct pressure. Around 12% of global trade passes through this strait.

The Houthi advance is deepening the global energy crisis: with the Strait of Hormuz blocked by Iran for months and the Saudi east-west pipeline out of service after Thursday’s attack, traders warn that oil prices could rise further.

Source: Al Jazeera — Al Jazeera