Mayyun Island

Why in news?

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have captured Mayyun Island and expanded along the Bab al-Mandab Strait, tightening a maritime blockade in the Red Sea.

• Mayun Island – It is a small volcanic island that sits directly in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
• It is also called Perim Island.
• Location – It lies on the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
• Bab el-Mandeb Strait – It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean - one of the world's most important shipping and energy-trade routes in the Red Sea.
• The strait is about 29 km wide at its narrowest point, making it one of the world's most vulnerable maritime chokepoints.
• Other seized Islands – Houthis captured the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, the nearby Red Sea coast, and the Yemeni port city of Mocha.
• Their advance brought them within 30 km of Djibouti, putting the U.S. Camp Lemonnier base within range of Houthi drones and missiles.

References

1. India Today | Houthis seize key Yemen island
2. Indian Express | Houthis close in on Bab el-Mandeb