Iran-backed Houthis take full control of Red Sea coastline, tightening grip on crucial shipping lane

The Houthi rebels effectively completed their rapid push to take control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline on Friday, tightening their grip on one of the world’s most important shipping routes and delivering a dramatic boost to their backers in Iran.

Houthi forces captured Perim, an island in the middle of the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, several news agencies reported, citing multiple sources. It comes after they captured the historic port city of Mocha just a day earlier.

That was followed by an advance on the strategic coastal town of Dhubab and the apparent withdrawal from Perim — also known as Mayun — of forces from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government.

The Houthis and the opposing coalition have been fighting a civil war since 2014. The conflict has simmered for years following a truce but erupted into intense fighting again in recent weeks, raising concerns of a return to all-out war and posing a serious new threat to the global economy.

Effective Houthi control over the Bab-el-Mandeb, a gateway to the Red Sea trade route that links Europe and Asia, could further imperil oil exports while granting Iran powerful new leverage in its war with the United States.

Saudi Arabia…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world