Why Yemen's Perim Island Has Become A Strategic Prize In US-Iran War

The Yemeni island of Perim feels like a step back into the past, with its barren sand and rock landscape. However, its strategic location in the Bab al-Mandab Strait has put it at the heart of an ongoing conflict.

After the Iran-US war effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has been exporting oil via the Red Sea, with the Bab al-Mandab Strait providing a narrow getaway.

However, the Houthi rebels' latest offensive could lead them to control Perim, as well as give them the ability to prevent ships from passing through the waterway.

On Thursday, Mocha, a crucial coastal location about 50 miles north of Perim, was captured by the Iran-backed Houthis. For Yemen's internationally recognised government, the stakes in defending Perim are higher than ever, CNN reported.

Why Perim Island Is A Strategic Prize

The island has been valuable to several empires throughout history due to its location. Perim is situated at the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which brings the Horn of Africa to within 12 miles of the Arabian Peninsula.

Now, conflict in Yemen's more than 10-year-long civil war has intensified as the Houthis launch attacks towards the Red Sea coast. Yemen and Perim Island could become a new flashpoint in the US-Iran war.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a crucial alternative to Hormuz. Shuttering the waterway via its ally could be a strategy for Iran to put pressure on Trump next, leading to an increase in oil prices and damaging Republican prospects before the US midterm elections in November.

A Long History Of Conflict

Yemen's civil war started in 2014. By the next year, the country was split into factions, with the Houthis controlling the capital, Sanaa, and the northwestern parts, while the government and allied factions held most of the south and east.

The latest Houthi offensive against the Yemeni government started in July, ending a four-year truce between the group and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia denied a Houthi delegation that was in Tehran for the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei permission to land in Sanaa amid concerns that it was carrying military equipment and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel.

Saudi aircraft struck the runway at Sanaa's airport, forcing the plane to land in the port city of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the Houthis.

The Houthis retaliated by declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh and threatening ships passing through Bab al-Mandab carrying Saudi exports. They also launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure, airports and other civilian sites.

After the Houthis launched their offensive, clashes have raged across several parts of Yemen, as per The Guardian. Cities such as Taiz, Ad Dali, al-Bayda, Marib, Shabwah, al-Jawf and Hodeidah have seen renewed fighting as the government and Houthis fight to gain supremacy.

In the midst of all this, Perim Island stands as a valuable location that may hold the key to the next stage in Yemen's civil war and the future price of oil itself.