--- title: "Houthis reach Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Reuters reports direct orders from Iran" description: "According to Reuters, the Houthis reached Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 11, strengthening control over a key oil route. Direct orders from Iran are reported; Trump declined Saudi Arabia's request for strikes." date: 2026-09-11T12:46:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/houthi-perim-island-bab-el-mandeb-iran tags: [houthi, yemen, bab-el-mandeb, iran, red-sea, oil-prices, saudi-arabia, perim-island] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Houthis reach Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Reuters reports direct orders from Iran ![Houthi fighters raise Kalashnikov rifles in celebration of seizing Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb strait](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/11/husity-perim-ostrov-bab-el-mandeb-iran/husity-perim-ostrov-bab-el-mandeb-iran-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - According to Reuters, the Houthis reached Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and captured the town of Dubab on the Red Sea coast. - Reuters reports that the Houthis' advance was carried out on the direct instructions of Iran's IRGC, although Tehran publicly denies this. - The Saudi Crown Prince called Trump twice urging strikes on the Houthis; the US declined the request. - Oil was set to end the week above $100 per barrel, but fell on Friday amid reports of a temporary agreement on Hormuz. On September 11, Yemen's Houthis reportedly reached the strategic island of Perim, located in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — one of the key chokepoints in global oil trade. The Reuters news agency was told this by four sources in the Yemeni government. According to two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government of Yemen, its troops were withdrawn from the island. Meanwhile, as the outlet reports, the Houthis captured the town of Dubab on the mainland Red Sea coast opposite Perim. If the rebels manage to gain full control over the strait, this could, according to Reuters' assessment, give their patron — Iran — a decisive advantage in the war with the United States. ### Iranian footprint: direct instructions from Tehran Reuters reported on Thursday that the Houthis' advance along the Red Sea coast was carried out on the direct instructions of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources, Tehran is seeking to open a new front in the war against the United States. Last week, as two Iranian sources reported, Iran ordered the Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia — a close ally of Washington — and promised them additional funding, weapons, and senior officers. At the same time, although Iran publicly calls the Houthis an ally, it officially denies providing them with any military instructions. Earlier, according to RBC-Ukraine, on Thursday the Iran-backed Houthis took control of the Yemeni port of Mocha, which creates an additional threat to shipping in the Red Sea. ### Saudi Arabia's reaction and the US position Yemeni government forces stated that they would attempt to retake the areas captured by the Houthis along the Red Sea coast this week, and announced the deployment of weapons and aviation to "eliminate any movements of the Houthi terrorist militias." Saudi Arabia reportedly struck Houthi positions in Yemen, but not the strategic areas that the group captured this week. According to Axios, citing two US officials, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice on Thursday, urging strikes on the Houthis. Trump declined the request, and US officials stated that the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis. ### Oil prices and shipping The geopolitical escalation has already been reflected in energy markets: global oil prices were set to end the week above $100 per barrel for the first time since mid-May. On Friday, prices fell slightly after the Financial Times reported that the foreign ministers of Middle Eastern countries were preparing a temporary agreement on regulating shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The context is critically important: Saudi Arabia has been relying on the route through the Red Sea since the Iranian conflict effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, so the threat to Bab el-Mandeb hits the kingdom's alternative oil corridor. ### Contradictory data The sources presented contain a number of inconsistencies that are important to take into account. First, the nature of the events on Perim is described differently: Reuters presents it as the capture of the island by the Houthis, while two sources from the Yemeni government say that its troops were "withdrawn" from the island, which may mean a safe evacuation rather than an armed capture. Second, the question of Tehran's role is contradictory: sources claim that the IRGC issued direct orders, yet Iran publicly denies any military command over the Houthis. Third, the dynamics of oil prices are non-linear: the expected break above $100 per barrel was partially offset by the Friday decline amid reports of a possible temporary agreement on Hormuz. Until these versions are independently confirmed on the ground, all the details listed above should be treated with reservations. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Houthis captured Perim Island to block the key strait, - Reuters](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/husiti-zahopili-ostriv-perim-shchob-blokuvati-1789130503.html) - Первичная передача сообщения Reuters о выходе хуситов на Перим и захвате Дубаба; совпадает с основным текстом. - [Iran-backed Houthis reportedly reach strategic island in key global shipping route](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-backed-houthis-reportedly-reach-strategic-island-in-key-global-shipping-route/ar-AA2c10yw) - Подтверждает стратегическое значение острова для глобальных судоходных маршрутов и иранскую связь. - [Middle East live: Yemen’s Houthis seize key island in Bab al-Mandab strait](https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/middle-east-live-yemen-s-houthis-seize-key-island-in-bab-al-mandab-strait/ar-AA2bZry7) - Подтверждает стратегическое значение острова для глобальных судоходных маршрутов и иранскую связь. - [Houthi rebels seize island in crucial shipping route as Iran terror proxy to reveal ‘large-scale military operation’](https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/40347439/houthi-rebels-seize-island-iran-terror-proxy-military/) - Подтверждает захват острова и упоминает готовящуюся «масштабную военную операцию»; детали операции не подтверждены первичным текстом. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Which island did the Houthis capture on September 11? **A:** According to Reuters reports, the Houthis reached Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and also captured the town of Dubab on the mainland Red Sea coast opposite the island. ### Q: Did Iran issue direct orders to the Houthis? **A:** Reuters, citing the Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources, reports that the advance was carried out on the direct instructions of the IRGC. At the same time, Iran publicly denies providing the Houthis with military instructions. ### Q: Does the US intend to strike the Houthis? **A:** No. According to Axios, the Saudi Crown Prince called Trump twice with such a call, but Trump declined the request, and US officials stated that the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis. ### Q: How has the situation affected oil prices? **A:** Prices were set to end the week above $100 per barrel for the first time since mid-May, but fell slightly on Friday after the Financial Times reported that a temporary agreement on shipping through Hormuz was being prepared.