Houthi forces announced the capture of Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the coastal town of Dhubab, completing their takeover of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline after seizing the port city of Mocha days earlier [4][9][15]. The advance coincided with Saudi Arabia's precautionary shutdown of its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks Riyadh attributed to Iraq [1][5][7][32]. Yemeni government officials confirmed the withdrawal of pro-government forces from Perim, known locally as Mayyun [9][34].
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the September 3 operation expelled Saudi mobilisations from six districts of Taiz and Hodeidah covering 5,400 square kilometres, and vowed to continue "blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation until the aggression stops and the blockade on our people is lifted" [2][5][8][11]. Houthi spokesperson Abdulsalam said the group's operations are defensive and would stop once attacks on Yemen cease [14][17]. The Houthi-run humanitarian operations co-ordination centre stated that maritime navigation remains safe for all shipping companies except Saudi vessels, which remain subject to a previously announced ban [4][14][25][34]. On the governance front, the Houthi-run Civil Service Ministry dispatched field committees to newly controlled districts of Hodeidah and Taiz to stabilise institutions and guarantee public services [40].
Adversaries of the Houthis described the coastal offensive as planned, directed and supported by Iran's Revolutionary Guards as part of Tehran's war strategy. Pro-government commander Tarek Salah said his forces paid a heavy price confronting a Houthi offensive that was "planned and supported by Iran" [4][12]. Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources, that the IRGC provided direct guidance for the advance to open a new front in the war with the United States [11][17][26]. US representative Jennifer Naideheart de Ortiz told the Security Council the Houthis are "Iran's agents and instruments" and said those who made the escalation possible must bear the consequences [17]. A spokesman for the German Foreign Office condemned the Houthis alongside Iran for holding international shipping hostage and targeting energy installations in Saudi Arabia [19].
Iranian officials hailed the Houthi advance while publicly rejecting the proxy attribution. Mohammad Mokhber, adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, congratulated the Houthis on what he called a "resounding victory" [6]. Iran described the Houthis as an ally but denied giving them military direction, saying they are "not a proxy" [8][11][26]. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said blockades or military action against the Houthis cannot resolve the Yemen conflict and called for dialogue [17]. A senior Iranian official confirmed that Pakistan conveyed a Saudi warning to Tehran and that Iran replied it does not control the Houthis [45].
US President Donald Trump declined Saudi requests to strike the Houthis directly, offering instead intelligence and targeting support [5][24][26]. A senior Trump administration official said the United States is in "continuous dialogue" with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability [24]. Trump said the war with Iran will end immediately after the November midterm elections because Tehran "can't hold out any longer" [14]. The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against firms and individuals aiding Iranian proxies under "Operation Economic Outcast" [14].
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump at least twice on Thursday to request US military help against the Houthis, according to multiple reports [5][11][24][32]. Saudi Arabia responded to the Houthi advance with dozens of retaliatory airstrikes using F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets on Houthi targets including Mocha airport [31][34]. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said the path to diplomacy is not closed but that Saudi Arabia would not hesitate to defend itself [10]. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said it opted against retaliation for the pipeline attack following a request from Iraq's prime minister while reserving the right to take all measures necessary to protect its interests [32].
Yemen's internationally recognised government declared an "elimination zone" around Mocha and the road to Taiz. Government spokesman Majed Abdullah Al-Nazili said the armed forces will use `todo tipo de armamento y fuego` (all types of weaponry and fire) against any Houthi movement within the zone [31]. Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi urged Arab states and other countries to help protect Yemen's coasts and restore state control [4][29]. Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman called on Yemen's president to dismiss Tarek Salah and refer him for investigation on charges of conspiracy and high treason [30]. Southern Transitional Council representative Amr al-Bidh accused the Saudis of strategic incompetence in alienating southern forces and warned that the Houthis' presence in the strait will let them control the waterways without sophisticated weapons [30]. The collapse of government positions on the coast followed the UAE's withdrawal of financial and military support for southern Yemeni forces at the turn of the year [12][13].
The International Organization for Migration reported at least 46,000 people displaced by the offensive, a number "alarmingly rising by the hour" [13][24][30]. IOM Director General Amy Pope said families are being forced to flee for the second or third time in this conflict with almost nothing [13][24]. A resident who fled Mocha described an "apocalyptic" atmosphere in the historic city [6][29]. Another resident, Mujahid Tahami, said some families fell victim to looting by gangs as they tried to flee [29]. The Yemeni Joint Forces reported Houthi shelling of civilian sites in Jabal Habashi and the road linking Taiz with Aden, with civilian casualties [3]. Casualty estimates from the offensive diverge sharply, with the conflict monitor ACLED recording 276 fatalities over five days of fighting [12] while an AFP tally and the UN migration agency reported more than 500 dead [6][30].
The dual pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb has cut Saudi crude supply to 6 million barrels per day in August, the lowest level in more than three decades, according to the International Energy Agency [8][11][26][32]. Brent crude rose as much as 4 percent above $105 a barrel [14], with some market reports putting the gain at nearly 5 percent toward $107 [31], and US diesel topped $6 a gallon for the first time [6][14]. The Suez Canal Authority announced that canal shipping fell 50 percent and revenues 60 percent because of Houthi attacks, with daily transits dropping from 75-80 to 30-35 vessels [39]. S&P Global Energy said it no longer expects the fighting to end completely by the end of 2027 and expects international oil prices to remain elevated at $80 to $100 a barrel through next year [5]. Analyst Li Zixin of the China Institute of International Studies warned that simultaneous pressure on both chokepoints raises the possibility of a renewed full-scale civil war [5]. A legal analysis argues the Houthi naval blockade fails to meet the requirements of a lawful blockade under international law, lacking defined coordinates, designated ports, exemptions, or enforcement procedures under UNCLOS and the San Remo Manual [37].
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the Security Council that the war has entered "a new and more dangerous phase" and called for "the active investment of every member of this body to contain what could be the precipice for a far more dangerous conflict" [14][17][29]. The United Kingdom called on the Security Council to send a clear message that the Houthis must de-escalate, cease their attacks, and return to a path toward peace [29]. Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation and dismissed the military commander in charge of Maysan province after confirming the pipeline attack originated there [1][6][24]. Iran confirmed that its representatives and those of Iraq and the Gulf Arab states will meet in Oman to resume discussions on safe commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz [8][26]. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi expressed hope that a temporary corridor for the Strait of Hormuz and practical arrangements to restore safe navigation will soon be announced [36]. China held direct talks with the Houthis and applied vessel-by-vessel for safe passage of its tankers through the southern Red Sea [47]. Turkey joined a Saudi-led 13-country multinational naval coalition for Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with a permanent secretariat and joint operations centres based in Riyadh [46].