Yemen’s Houthis captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, government and Houthi officials said, strengthening their control of a major maritime shipping route, AP reports.
The capture of the islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish came as Saudi-backed government forces attempted to rally over the weekend and fight back after the rebels’ swift advances around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis’ new gains further enable them to threaten Saudi crude oil shipments, which have used the Red Sea as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking shipping.
