Houthi rebels effectively completed a rapid advance to seize control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast on Friday, strengthening their hold on one of the world’s most important shipping routes and providing a dramatic boost to their supporters in Iran. At the same time, attacks inside Saudi Arabia forced the closure of a critical oil pipeline, the country’s Energy Ministry confirmed on Friday. Houthi forces captured Perim, an island in the middle of the vital Bab el Mandeb Strait, several news agencies reported, citing multiple sources. A day earlier, the Houthis captured the historic port city of Mocha. This was followed by an advance on the strategic coastal town of Dhubab and the apparent withdrawal of forces from the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government from Perim, also known as Mayun. The U.S. military is helping its Saudi counterparts develop and coordinate targets inside Yemen, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the matter, after Saudi Arabia pledged a firm response to the hostilities. The Houthis and the opposition coalition have been fighting a civil war since 2014. The conflict has been simmering for years but erupted again into intense fighting in recent weeks, raising fears of a return to all-out war and posing a serious new threat to the global economy. Effective Houthi control over Bab el Mandeb, a gateway to the Red Sea trade route linking Europe and Asia, could further jeopardize oil exports while giving Iran powerful new leverage in its war with the United States. Saudi, the world’s largest oil exporter, has had to rely on the Red Sea route due to the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil used to pass, since the United States and Israel waged war against the Islamic Republic in late February. If the Houthis are able to similarly threaten shipping along the Bab el Mandeb Strait, they could reduce oil supplies through another key waterway and deepen the global energy crisis. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is urging President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, according to a person familiar with the matter. The president and the crown prince have discussed the recent Houthi escalation at least twice in the past 24 hours, this person said. Trump has so far refused to carry out military strikes against the Houthis, but has agreed to provide military assistance, such as helping the Saudis develop attacks against the Houthis and share information, a person familiar with the matter and a US official said. The discussions between President Trump and the Saudi crown prince were first reported by Axios. Fighters loyal to Houthi authorities shout slogans during a demonstration to recruit more fighters, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday. Mohamed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images The Houthis also attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia itself, with the Saudi Energy Ministry confirming on Friday that it had shut down the kingdom’s East-West pipeline after “multiple attacks.” This has been a key alternative for Saudi exports that cannot transit through Hormuz. The ministry statement said the pipeline was “closed as a precautionary measure,” but satellite images on Friday showed a 60-mile plume of smoke along its route, while fire detection data showed high temperature readings at several sites where infrastructure for the underground pipeline is located. Global oil prices looked set to end the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May after the dramatic events.
