International News

Houthi Control of Mayyun Island

September 16 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 42 0

Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured Mayyun Island and expanded their control over Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Mayyun Island lies on Yemen’s side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
The Houthis also captured Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands, the neighbouring Red Sea coastline, and the Yemeni port city of Mocha.
These areas strengthen their position around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an important international maritime route.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has relied on the Red Sea route after Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade disrupted shipments through the Gulf.
India condemned the attack on commercial vessel MT El Gaia off the coast of Oman, in the Arabian Sea, near the Strait of Hormuz.