US Reportedly in Contact With Houthis Following Seizure of Yemen's Perim Island
A Yemeni vice president said Washington has been in touch with Houthi forces after the group took control of the strategic Red Sea island, according to TASS.
The United States has been in contact with Yemen's Houthi movement following its takeover of Perim Island, a strategically located island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a Yemeni vice president said, according to a report by TASS.
The statement came after Yemeni government forces withdrew from Perim Island, according to the report. Around the same time, Houthi fighters seized the city of Dhubab, located on the Red Sea coast directly across from the island, TASS reported.
Perim Island sits in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, through which a significant share of global maritime trade passes. Control over the strait and surrounding territory has been a point of contention amid Yemen's ongoing conflict.
TASS did not provide further details on the nature or purpose of the reported US contacts with the Houthis, nor did it specify when the exchanges took place. The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of northern Yemen, has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the Yemeni government and has previously targeted shipping in the Red Sea region.
Further details on the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of government forces from Perim Island and the capture of Dhubab were not immediately available.
Sources
- US in contact with Houthis after their takeover of Perim Island, vice president says — TASS (Russia)
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
Related articles
Houthis Emerge as Key Player in Iran's Regional Network, Analysts Say
Following battlefield gains in Yemen, the Houthi movement is being described as increasingly central to Iran's so-called "axis of resistance," a role once dominated by Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Qatar Says It Is Mediating to Revive US-Iran Talks
Qatari officials say mediators are shuttling between capitals in an effort to restart stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran
Ukraine, Russia and US Said to Prepare New Round of Mediated Talks
Officials in Kyiv and Moscow indicate trilateral discussions could resume in October, though expectations for a breakthrough remain low.
Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Will Stay Closed Until US Meets Its Conditions
Parliament speaker says Tehran has relayed its demands to Washington through intermediaries and will not reopen the strategic waterway until they are satisfied
Iran Security Official Says Country Ready to Respond If US Resumes Military Action
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Tehran is prepared to defend itself and respond forcefully to any renewed US military aggression, according to IRNA.
Denmark Keeps Details of Anticipated Greenland Agreement with Washington Under Wraps
Copenhagen refuses to disclose agreement terms with the United States, amid diverging portrayals by both parties
Comments
Loading comments…