Houthi forces have seized the port of Mokha and Perim Island, taking control of the important Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Yemeni government sources confirm that Mokha was lost on Thursday and Perim Island on Friday. Government forces no longer control the shoreline even though they still make strikes along the Mocha-Dhubab road. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated they launched missile and drone strikes on the Sharurah base in Najran. Saudi Civil Defence reported that a projectile hit al-Tuwal in Jazan, causing two injuries and damage to a mosque, vehicles, and buildings.
Riyadh has shut its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline after drone strikes on infrastructure near Medina and Riyadh. The Iraqi government dismissed a commander in Maysan and started an investigation, while no group claimed the pipeline attack. Satellite images from Planet Labs show smoke and damage along the pipeline. Market analysts state that a long closure could impact up to 4% of global oil supplies. Brent crude prices hit $110 before settling near $104.
Diplomatic talks are set for Monday in Muscat, Oman, to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said several Gulf states will join the talks. Bahrain declined to take part, while the UAE had high-level talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at a BRICS summit in New Delhi. A vessel was hit by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, and an attack on an Iranian commercial ship near Qeshm left one person dead and several wounded. Sources and Reuters report that the IRGC encouraged Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia with more military support. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked U.S. President Donald Trump for direct military help, but the U.S. has only provided intelligence so far. Regional air defenses, including those in the UAE, stay active against incoming projectiles.
