Yemeni Houthi forces have seized the strategic Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, completing a rapid multi-day offensive that places a critical global oil transit bottleneck under near-total rebel control and sparks severe warnings of an impending energy crunch. Hanish Islands Red Sea
The capture of the volcanic archipelago, located roughly 160 kilometers north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, comes on the heels of Houthi forces taking the coastal port city of Mokha and Mayun (Perim) Island. According to regional military officials, the advance extends Houthi operational control across more than 300 kilometers of continuous Red Sea coastline, effectively neutralizing the primary alternative maritime bypass established by Gulf energy exporters.
The maritime offensive drastically compounds the vulnerability of Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. Following the disruption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia relied heavily on transferring crude via its East-West Pipeline (Petroline) to western ports at Yanbu for export via the Red Sea. However, recent drone and missile strikes forcing a temporary Petroline shutdown coupled with Houthi military positions overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb—have severely throttled Saudi export capacity.
Energy market analysts warn that the simultaneous threat to both major Middle Eastern maritime choke points has pushed Brent crude above $107 per barrel. Energy experts caution that if tanker traffic is forced to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, transit times will increase by up to three weeks, triggering acute global supply deficits, soaring freight rates, and compounding inflationary pressures across major import markets in Asia and Europe. MENA News Wire
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