Houthis seize strategic island as Saudi shuts pipeline
Saudi Arabia shut down a major oil pipeline Friday after it was attacked by drones, while Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, opening a new front in the Iran war, according to two officials.
The Houthis made their biggest territorial gains in years along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key shipping lanes. Their advance could strengthen Iran’s strategy of driving up global oil and gas prices to put pressure on the United States.
Saudi Arabia said it had shut down the East-West pipeline a day after it was attacked by drones. The Saudi Ministry of Energy described the shutdown as “a precautionary measure.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry blamed the attack on several drones that it said had come from Iraq. In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom said it would refrain from responding immediately to give the Iraqi government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures.”
The latest developments come amid escalating regional tensions and growing concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and major international shipping routes.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who also serves as commander-in-chief of the military, ordered an investigation into the Maysan province operations command after authorities determined that attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from a site in the province.
Government spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said in a statement early Saturday that al-Zaidi had also dismissed the commander of the Maysan operations command.
The Iraqi government’s move came after Saudi Arabia identified Iraq as the source of the drones used in the attack.
Saudi Arabia and the United States bombed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in July after blaming them for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities that had been claimed by the Houthis.
Regional officials told The Associated Press that the Houthis had helped Iraqi militias plan and execute the attacks.
The latest drone strike and the Houthi seizure of the strategic island have raised concerns about a widening conflict involving Iran-backed groups across the region.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is particularly significant because it connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major maritime route for global trade and energy shipments.
The Houthi advance in the area could therefore have implications beyond Yemen, particularly for shipping, energy markets and the broader confrontation between Iran and the United States.
