Story perspectives

Iran-backed Houthis seize Mokha and Perim Strait islands

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 9:58 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Houthis Seize Mokha

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s port city of Mokha and the island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on September 11, 2026.
The offensive displaced tens of thousands, overwhelming aid agencies and forcing doctors to flee, further straining fragile health services.
The seizure gave Houthis control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb lane.
Saudi Arabia temporarily halted its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline, citing safety after drone attacks.

Right

Houthis Seize Mokha

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the Yemeni port city of Mokha and the island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on September 11, 2026.
President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the drone attack that shut the East-West oil pipeline.
Yemeni government forces launched airstrikes and destroyed Houthi vehicles and weapons near Mokha.
Spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nazili warned citizens to avoid the Taiz-Mokha and Mokha-Dhubab roads.

Blindspot

Doctors and other medical workers fled Mokha after the Houthi seizure, further straining health services, while tens of thousands of civilians were displaced, overwhelming aid agencies.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

Fuel-subsidy cuts on 18 August 2014, after a 2013 subsidy program that cost $3 billion, sparked mass protests that enabled the Houthis to storm Sana’a on 21 September 2014, forcing President Hadi’s resignation and prompting a Saudi-led coalition air campaign in March 2015. The conflict has repeatedly threatened Red Sea oil routes, drawing UN warnings and renewed diplomatic pressure, while Iran’s backing remains contested.

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Houthis Seize Mokha

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s port city of Mokha and the island of Perim in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on September 11, 2026.
The offensive displaced tens of thousands, overwhelming aid agencies and forcing doctors to flee, further straining fragile health services.
The seizure gave Houthis control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb lane.
Saudi Arabia temporarily halted its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline, citing safety after drone attacks.

1 / 4