# Houthis seize Mayun Island, tightening control over Red Sea route used for Saudi oil exports

*Friday, September 11, 2026 at 10:05 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-11T22:05:53.119Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 8/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/17554.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

---

**Deck**: Houthi forces have captured Mayun Island in the Red Sea, described in regional reporting as a key alternative route for Saudi oil and other exports. The move extends Houthi control around the Bab el‑Mandeb chokepoint at a time when Saudi maritime and pipeline routes already face attacks and closures.

Houthi fighters have taken control of Mayun Island in the Red Sea, adding another strategic position to their grip on shipping lanes that carry Saudi exports.

Regional reports describe Mayun as a key alternative route for Saudi oil and other exports. Its capture gives the Houthis a foothold on an island that sits near the Bab el‑Mandeb strait, a narrow passage that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

This follows earlier claims that the Houthis have seized control of Bab el‑Mandeb itself. With both the strait and Mayun Island in their hands, an armed movement from Yemen now has a much stronger presence at a chokepoint used by tankers and cargo ships moving between Asia and Europe.

For shipping companies, the practical impact is a higher perceived risk along a route that carries oil and containerized trade. An armed group on Mayun can monitor traffic or, in a more severe scenario, threaten ships that pass nearby. Even without a declared blockade, the fear of delays or attacks can change sailing plans and insurance costs.

Crews on tankers and other vessels face a more uncertain passage. Orders to change course, wait for escorts or avoid certain lanes altogether can lengthen voyages and complicate schedules. Ports that rely on steady Red Sea traffic may see knock‑on effects if owners decide to route ships elsewhere.

For Saudi Arabia, the loss of Mayun comes while other pillars of its export system are under strain. Its East–West oil pipeline has been shut down after drone strikes that Saudi officials say were launched by Iranian‑backed groups in Iraq. Aramco facilities have been targeted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and by the Houthis. With Houthi forces now on Mayun Island and claiming control over Bab el‑Mandeb, Saudi crude that seeks to avoid the Strait of Hormuz also faces a contested Red Sea.

On a global scale, the seizure of Mayun tightens risk around one of the world’s key maritime bottlenecks. Bab el‑Mandeb carries not only oil but also large volumes of trade between Asia and Europe. If insecurity there persists, shipowners may send some cargoes along longer routes, adding time and cost to supply chains.

The move underlines that the Houthis are able to project influence beyond Yemen’s land borders by holding territory that affects international shipping. Control of Mayun gives them leverage over a route that matters to Gulf states and to trading nations far beyond the region.

What will determine how far this risk spreads is whether any regional or outside navies move to contest Houthi control of Mayun, whether incidents involving ships near the island increase, and whether Saudi Arabia and its partners adjust their naval posture in the southern Red Sea.