Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have successfully captured the island of Mayun, located at the critical entrance to the Red Sea. This strategic seizure, confirmed by both a senior military official from Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Houthi spokesperson—both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorization to talk to journalists—poses a significant new threat to maritime traffic.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, situated at the southern end of the Red Sea, typically facilitates the passage of approximately 12% of global goods and serves as a vital artery for Saudi Arabian oil and export operations, particularly while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted due to ongoing regional conflict.
While Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree asserted in a statement on Friday that maritime navigation remains safe for all entities excluding Saudi vessels, global markets have reacted with visible nervousness, and experts continue to characterize the Houthi movement as highly unpredictable. The situation on the ground remains volatile; a United Nations spokesperson, Farhan Haq, confirmed that Houthi rebels in Mokha recently seized a compound that had previously housed U.N.
staff. Haq noted that all personnel successfully fled before the city's capture, confirming that no U.N. staff currently remain in Mokha.
The security situation has prompted immediate defensive reactions. On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced the closure of a major, cross-country oil pipeline as a precautionary measure following attacks that occurred the previous day. Although the Saudi Energy Ministry did not identify the perpetrators, the East-West pipeline has become essential for the kingdom’s oil exports since the Iran war began disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the Iraqi government reported early Saturday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province and dismissed its commander after authorities determined that attacks targeting Saudi Arabia were launched from a site in that province.
According to data from the International Energy Agency, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port terminal at the pipeline's end have more than doubled since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
In a separate development, the AI company Anthropic announced it has blocked users in northern Yemen who were utilizing its models to develop weapons, including precision-guided, long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles. The company stated that its internal investigation identified users employing Claude Code to create software capable of stabilizing flying vehicles and developing guided rockets that allow smartphone users to track targets autonomously.
While Anthropic emphasized there is no evidence these users successfully fielded a weapon, the incident highlights the ongoing concerns regarding the smuggling of advanced weaponry into northern Yemen, despite existing blockades and U.N. arms embargos. Iran continues to deny providing arms to the rebels.
Diplomatic efforts are ongoing, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei announcing a regional meeting scheduled for Monday in Oman. The summit is expected to include representatives from Iran and other Persian Gulf nations, including Oman and Iraq, to discuss shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and Oman have held prior talks regarding the management of ship traffic through the critical waterway.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reported on Friday that the Israeli military has completed the destruction of tunnels in the strategic Ali Taher ridge, which he alleged were constructed by the militant group Hezbollah with Iranian funding. The ridge has been the site of recent clashes, and nearby residents reported feeling the ground shake from explosions on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued to demolish houses in villages under their control in southern Lebanon, with residents of the coastal village of Mansouri watching as Israeli drones dropped explosives on their homes.
In Gaza, an Israeli strike on Friday killed a man walking in a street in Khan Younis and wounded several people, including children; the Israeli military stated the strike targeted a Hamas member. Mourners also held funeral prayers for two of three men killed Thursday in Khan Younis, one of whom the military identified as a Hamas commander.
The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are scheduled to meet at the U.S. State Department next week to discuss developments and the implementation of a trilateral framework. The State Department described this as the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon's sovereignty and Israel's security.
The next round of formal discussions is planned for Rome in October, as planning for the U.N. General Assembly, Jewish holidays, and King Abdullah's Lebanese Armed Forces conference in Paris made earlier scheduling impossible.
Yemen's Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo) STR/AP hide caption
