Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea. This capture is part of a swift advance across Yemen's Red Sea coast, following the previous seizure of the port of Mokha and Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
By securing a position overlooking one of the world's most important shipping arteries, the group has tightened its grip on a key maritime shipping route and opened a second pressure point. This move has jeopardized global oil supplies and raised concerns that the world is facing a new oil supply crisis.
The Hanish archipelago fell after hundreds of government-allied forces withdrew, and more than 80,000 people have been displaced in two weeks of fighting. The internationally recognized government has vowed to regroup.
The conflict, viewed as a ripple effect of the US war with Iran, has extended the Middle East war to another theater. Following these developments, Arab states in the Persian Gulf called off a planned meeting with Iran, while Houthi rebels launched a new attack on Saudi Arabia.