Perim Island becomes Red Sea flashpoint in Iran-Yemen conflict

Perim Island in Yemen’s Bab al-Mandab strait has emerged as a strategic prize as Iran-backed Houthis push toward Mocha and the island, potentially allowing them to choke Red Sea shipping and disrupt global oil flows, linking Yemen’s civil war to the wider US-Iran rivalry; the CNN report details on-the-ground defenses, Iranian weapons shipments, and warnings that securing Perim would require international force to prevent a broader crisis in energy and trade.