Saudi Arabia announced the shutdown of its East‑West pipeline after a drone strike the previous day, while Yemen’s Iranian‑backed Houthi rebels seized the volcanic island of Mayun (Perim) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The move marks a new front in the Iran‑Saudi conflict, according to officials.
The Ministry of Energy said the shutdown was a precautionary measure. The Foreign Ministry blamed drones from Iraq and urged the Iraqi government to act. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi ordered an investigation and dismissed the commander of the Maysan province operations after evidence linked the attacks to that region.
Mayun, a 28‑kilometre‑wide island in the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, is a key maritime chokepoint. Its capture was confirmed by a senior Yemeni government military official and a Houthi spokesperson, both speaking anonymously. The Houthis claimed gains along the coast but did not mention the island in their statement.
The advance complicates Saudi Arabia’s use of the Red Sea as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, already strained by Houthi attacks. Shipping through the strait fell by about 60 percent since late 2023, forcing Saudi oil to be rerouted north to the Mediterranean. Crude prices rose above USD 100 a barrel, giving Tehran leverage.
The escalation threatens to unravel the fragile truce that has kept Yemen’s civil war at bay since 2022. The UN Migration Agency reported over 46,000 people displaced in the past week, with doctors and aid workers fleeing. Saudi and Yemeni officials called for international support and negotiations, while Iran urged a return to talks.
