Yemen's Houthis capture a Red Sea island in threat to shipping

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The move threatens Saudi oil exports through a key commercial lane. And Saudi Arabia said it shut down a major oil pipeline as a precaution after it came under attack.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3156x2104+0+0/resize/3156x2104!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F57%2Fc8%2Fe9490d254a34bb6bd250e9b4d8f9%2Fap26253315512845.jpg' alt='Yemen's Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)'/><p>Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The move threatens Saudi oil exports through a key commercial lane. And Saudi Arabia said it shut down a major oil pipeline as a precaution after it came under attack.</p><p>(Image credit: STR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-143044' />