Yemen Forces Retake Perim Island at Bab el-Mandeb

Perim Island, the small volcanic strip at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, changed hands again over the October 7 to 8 weekend. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces retook both the island and the nearby Ras Menhali headland. Both positions directly overlook the narrow waterway separating the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa.

The counteroffensive reverses the Houthi grip on Bab el-Mandeb's southern approaches from last month, when they completed their takeover of Yemen's Red Sea coastline. Houthi forces had used the island as a firing position, putting short-range weapons within range of ships passing through the strait. Losing it matters.

By October 8, ship traffic through Bab el-Mandeb was running slightly higher than in recent days. Still far below the pre-conflict average of more than 60 ships a day. Government forces also pushed toward Hodeidah, the Houthi's main supply port on the Red Sea coast. Saudi airstrikes struck Hodeidah in late September, killing two people, but the port remains contested.

Whether the recapture holds is another question. The strait has seen repeated changes of control since fighting intensified in late August, and Houthi forces retain substantial missile and drone stockpiles across the region.