Ongoing1 earlier update

This story has run 2 times, starting Sep 11.

Sep 11Houthis capture Yemen's Mokha from Saudi-backed forces 46 miles from Bab el-Mandeb
Sep 12UpdateHouthi forces captured Mokha and Perim island in the 28-kilometer Bab el-Mandeb strait. — this issue

Houthi forces captured Mokha and Perim island in the 28-kilometer Bab el-Mandeb strait.

Political Guyentist · September 12, 20262 min read

Saudi Arabia shut its 7-million-barrel-per-day East-West pipeline after drone strikes from Iraq.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked for direct air strikes on the Houthis. Donald Trump turned down the request, offering intelligence and targeting help instead.

Mokha and Perim island at the Bab el-Mandeb strait

Catch upwhat happened before · 1 earlier issue

On Sept. 9, Houthi missiles and drones struck 4 Saudi cities, wounding 73 people and shutting Aramco's 400,000-barrel-a-day Jazan refinery.

Sep 11Houthis capture Yemen's Mokha from Saudi-backed forces 46 miles from Bab el-Mandeb

What this offensive secured along the Red SeaThe offensive seized 130 kilometers of coastline.3 details

The offensive seized 130 kilometers of coastline. It marks the largest Houthi land gain since the 2022 truce.
Houthi leaders declared sea lanes open to merchant ships. They barred only Saudi vessels.
About 200 American troops remain in the region. They provide non-combat targeting help.

What we’re less sure of3 of 7 claims

Medium
The offensive seized 130 kilometers of coastline, marking the largest Houthi land gain since the 2022 truce.
Derived from a single source (The Hill) among the listed sources.
Medium
Houthi leaders declared sea lanes open to merchant ships, barring only Saudi vessels.
Houthi leaders declared this policy commitment; explicitly attributed by the story to Houthi leaders.
Low
Longer tanker routes around Africa raise marine insurance rates and consumer fuel costs.
Unattributed causal leap made by the desk without citation or source attribution.

Related reading

The Gulf's chokepoint is edging back open under fire while the Red Sea's gate changes hands.

The strike on the East–West pipeline — Riyadh's 7-million-barrel-a-day bypass around both straits — set fires along the line.

Washington's answer to the same supply squeeze: emergency powers for domestic refining.