Houthi Fighters Seize Strategic Island, Saudi Oil Pipeline Shut Down

Iran-backed Houthi fighters have reached Yemen’s strategic Perim Island. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its key East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack originating from Iraq.

Four Yemeni government sources told Reuters on Friday (September 11) that the Houthis had reached Perim, raising fresh concerns over control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Sources in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government said their forces had withdrawn from the island.

Amid fears of further Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia has sought military assistance from the United States. However, Washington is not ready to take direct military action and is instead discussing assistance with intelligence sharing and target identification, according to sources.

Saudi authorities said the drones came from Iraq and that several people were injured in the attacks. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

The roughly 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline is a key alternative route for transporting Saudi oil to global markets while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi presence on Perim and the pipeline shutdown have heightened concerns over oil supplies in the Middle East.