Middle East live: Yemen’s Houthis seize key island in Bab al-Mandab strait

Home Middle East Live Issued on: 11/09/2026 - 06:52Modified: 11/09/2026 - 11:01 Yemen's Houthi rebels march during a mobilisation campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, September 10, 2026. © AP Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels took over a key island in the Red Sea, completing their push to seize control of the Bab al-Mandab strait area, a local government official and eyewitnesses said on Friday. Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, sits in the middle of the strategic waterway that links Asia to Europe. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. Yesterday's key developments: Saudi authorities issued brief alerts warning of potential danger in two areas near the border with Yemen, after the Iran-backed Houthis said Riyadh launched dozens of airstrikes on Yemen. A 4.1 magnitude earthquake was recorded in southern Lebanon by the US Geological Survey (USGS) after the Israeli military announced that it had blown up tunnels belonging to Hezbollah. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Thursday its navy targeted a US unmanned surface vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. (FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP) Keywords for this article