Houthis seize Perim Island and Red Sea islands after Yemen ceasefire collapses

September 13, 2026 at 08:59 AM2 min

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Iran-backed Houthi forces seized the strategic Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and several Red Sea islands on September 9, after the collapse of Yemen's four-year ceasefire. The offensive followed Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa airport that blocked an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The Houthis also captured Zubab district and the coastal city of Mokha, extending control over key maritime chokepoints.

Key Facts

Houthi forces captured Perim Island, the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands, and Zukar Island on September 9, 2026.
The Houthis also seized Zubab district and the coastal city of Mokha, both under Yemeni government control.
The ceasefire collapse began after Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa airport on July 3, preventing an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation from landing.
US President Donald Trump announced he would not intervene against the Houthis despite a request from Riyadh, citing the May 6, 2025 ceasefire agreement.
The Houthi offensive disrupted a prisoner exchange scheduled for July 11 that would have released nearly 2,000 detainees.

Ceasefire Collapse

Yemen's four-year fragile ceasefire, first activated in April 2022, ended after Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa airport on July 3. The strike aimed to block an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation returning from the funeral of Iran's slain religious leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The aircraft diverted to Hodeidah airport, and the Houthis declared the bombing an act of war. Houthi forces then attacked areas controlled by the Saudi-backed Leadership Council in Yemen and targeted Saudi oil tankers and cities in the Red Sea. The collapse also derailed a prisoner exchange scheduled for July 11 that would have freed nearly 2,000 detainees between the internationally recognized government and the Houthis.

Territorial Gains

On September 9, Houthi forces captured the strategic Zubab district and the coastal city of Mokha, both under Yemeni government control. They then seized Perim Island, located in the heart of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait transit route, followed by the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands and Zukar Island in the Red Sea. The Houthis now control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and much of the Red Sea, a chokepoint as critical as Hormuz for global trade and energy shipping. The Houthis had previously attacked the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran last week.

US Response

US President Donald Trump announced he would not intervene against the Houthis despite a request from Riyadh. Trump cited the May 6, 2025 ceasefire agreement with the Houthis, under which they were to halt attacks on commercial and American military vessels in the Red Sea. The US refusal leaves Saudi Arabia without the support it sought, while the Houthi crisis further destabilizes global energy markets.