Yemen's Iran-allied Houthi rebels have captured a strategic island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route through the Red Sea, Yemeni government sources told dpa on Friday.
"The Houthi militia has taken control of Mayyun island," a source told dpa.
Mayyun is located at the southern entrance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, at the heart of the maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
The strait is considered one of the most important international waterways, as a large volume of global trade and energy supplies between Asia and Europe passes through it via the Suez Canal.
Its significance has increased further amid the disruptions to global shipping in the Strait of Hormuz due to the Iran war.
The Iran-backed Houthis have been advancing along Yemen's Red Sea coast in recent days, capturing the key port city of Mokha from government forces on Thursday.
Control of Mayyun gives them strategic influence over the southern entrance to Bab al-Mandab, allowing them to ramp up attacks and blockades on shipping launched amid resurging tensions with Saudi Arabia, which is the main backer of government forces in Yemen's civil war.
Alongside Mayyun, the Houthis have also taken control of Hanish and Zugar islands further north in the Bab al-Mandab, the government source told dpa. This means the Iran-backed militia now controls the three most important islands in the strait.
In addition to Mokha, the Houthis also took control of the coastal city of al-Khawkhah and the inland city of Hays in Hodeidah province on Thursday following the withdrawal of Saudi-backed forces from the area.
The source added that Saudi-backed forces are currently present in the al-Saqiya area in Lahj province, southern Yemen, following recent developments in the Bab al-Mandab area and along the western coast.
Houthi fighters launched a missile bombardment on positions of pro-government forces in Ras al-Ara, resulting in human casualties, the source said, without providing further details.
The source said the Houthis captured more than 200 members of the Saudi-backed forces after taking control of Hanish Island.
Along the western coast and on most battlefronts, residents reported a state of cautious calm for several hours on Friday, a day after the Houthis took control of key positions.
Many families have fled Mokha towards Lahj and Aden provinces in southern Yemen amid the fighting, they said.
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's Saudi-backed government for more than a decade. A 2022 truce left the conflict largely frozen, with no major fighting, but also with little prospect of an end to the war.
The conflict has flared up again amid the wider war involving Iran.