Translated with AI
On September 11, 2026, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels declared control of the key islands of Perim (Mayoun), Zuqar, and Hanish in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Arabian Sea. Reuters and AFP reported this, citing sources in Yemen's internationally recognized government.
According to sources, Yemeni government forces have withdrawn from the islands. The Houthis also confirmed they have established control over them.
The islands are strategically important because their location allows them to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital trade route between Europe and Asia. About 12% of global cargo traffic, including oil shipments, passes through it.
The importance of this route for Saudi Arabia increased after the US and Israel's war with Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains safe for all commercial vessels except Saudi ones.
As the situation developed, global markets reacted with alarm due to fears of a new rise in oil prices.
Houthi advancement
The day before, it was reported that the Houthis had also seized control of the port of Mocha on the Yemeni coast of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Following this, the Saudi Arabian army launched airstrikes on the city's airfield, according to a rebel-controlled television channel.
Meanwhile, according to the American publication Axios, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice on September 10 and urged him to strike the Houthis.
However, according to Axios sources, the US president refused. According to them, the Trump administration does not want to directly intervene in the conflict with the Houthis. Meanwhile, Washington is concerned about the escalation of fighting in Yemen. According to Axios, US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Brad Cooper arrived in Saudi Arabia for urgent meetings with local military officials.
Reuters, citing sources, reports that the rapid advance of the Houthis along the Red Sea coast in recent days has been coordinated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Sources in Tehran claim that Iran is thus seeking to open a new front in its confrontation with the United States.
The Houthis tried to use AI to develop missiles.
Amid the events in Yemen, American artificial intelligence company Anthropic reported identifying and blocking users in the north of the country.
According to the company, they attempted to use its AI models to design high-precision long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles using ordinary, commercially available smartphones.
Anthropic, however, stated that it had no evidence that Yemeni users had succeeded in bringing their developments to the stage of creating weapons ready for use.
