Houthis say shipping safe except for Saudi vessels, vow further escalation

Yemen's Houthis stated that maritime navigation remains safe for all ships except Saudi vessels. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the position on Telegram.

Government sources told Reuters that Houthi forces reached Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after Saudi-backed Yemeni forces withdrew. The Houthis also seized the nearby coastal town of Dhubab, expanding control over key Red Sea shipping lanes.

Control of the strait could give Iran a strategic advantage in its conflict with the US by threatening a secondary oil transit corridor, potentially spiking global oil prices.

Saudi Arabia has depended on this route since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

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