Asia

World Brief, Evening: September 12, 2026

Houthi control of Perim puts Washington in a tighter Red Sea bind as Trump confirms intelligence help for Riyadh but no direct fight; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline stays shut after drones from Iraq; and BRICS leaders in New Delhi adopt a joint declaration after Iran and the UAE compromise. Ten stories as of Saturday evening, September 12.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached Perim (Mayun) Island on Friday, putting them in position to choke Bab el-Mandeb after seizing Mocha, Reuters reported. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Trump for U.S. military help; Trump told him Washington would share intelligence but not intervene directly for now, three sources told Reuters. Trump confirmed Saturday he had spoken to the crown prince and said the Houthis had also contacted his administration asking Washington not to join the fight. Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea export routes since Hormuz disruptions, Reuters reported.

2. Riyadh / oil markets. Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline remained shut as a precaution after drones launched from Iraq hit sites in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and damage, the Saudi energy and foreign ministries said. The line had been moving about 4–5% of global oil supply by routing crude around Hormuz, Reuters reported. Riyadh said it would not retaliate for now at Baghdad’s request; Iraq dismissed the Maysan operations commander and opened an investigation, BBC and Al Jazeera reported. Brent settled Friday at $104.61 and U.S. crude at $100.05, down on the day but finishing the week above $100 with a weekly gain of more than 8%, Reuters reported.

3. New Delhi. BRICS leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday after Iran and the UAE agreed a last-minute compromise on West Asia language, The Hindu and wires reported. The text expressed “deep concern” over Middle East escalation and called for maximum restraint without directly naming U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran or Iran’s subsequent attacks on Gulf neighbours; it made no separate mention of the war in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping, after a bilateral with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said China would take the BRICS chair next year. Member leaders continue Sunday at Bharat Mandapam under India’s chair.

4. Stockholm. Sweden votes Sunday in a general election that could see the hard-right Sweden Democrats enter government if the ruling right holds, the Guardian, BBC, and Reuters reported. Final Friday polls left the centre-left opposition ahead, but bloc gaps ranged from about 0.3 points to more than 5 points depending on the survey; the Liberals cleared the 4% threshold in the last readings. Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson remains favorite to return as prime minister. Polling stations close at 8 p.m. Sunday.

5. Kyiv. Russian air strikes across Ukraine on Saturday killed nine people and injured dozens, damaging homes, a grocery store, and Black Sea port areas, local officials told Reuters. President Zelenskiy said Russia had launched nearly 500 drones against Ukrainian targets since early morning and was expanding attacks on the economy. Separately, Zelenskiy said he would be willing to meet Putin at December’s G20 in Miami; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP that was “impossible” and repeated that any face-to-face meeting would have to be in Moscow, RFE/RL reported. Ukraine said it struck a synthetic-rubber plant in Russia’s Samara region.

6. Wonsan / East Sea. North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea around 5:20 a.m. Saturday; they flew about 250 kilometers, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Al Jazeera, AFP, Reuters, and AP reported. The launches came a day after U.S.–South Korea–Japan Freedom Edge drills ended. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the event did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or allies.

7. Washington. Trump confirmed Saturday he had spoken to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the Houthi advance and said the Houthis had also contacted his administration asking Washington not to become directly involved, Reuters reported. A senior administration official said the U.S. is focused on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea “while empowering our regional partners to take the lead.” Analysts told Reuters the Houthi move complicates Trump’s effort to keep the Iran fight from further driving U.S. energy prices.

8. Brasília. Newly unsealed Supreme Court records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading right-wing challenger ahead of the October 4 election — has been under investigation since July for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to failed lender Banco Master and film financing linked to banker Daniel Vorcaro, Reuters and ABC News reported. Police examined about $12 million routed through a U.S. fund linked to Eduardo Bolsonaro. Flávio denies wrongdoing and says the film financing was legal. A full-court session on related Banco Master disputes is set for Tuesday.

9. Abuja / Johannesburg. Nigeria’s National Assembly suspended official visits to South Africa and ordered lawmakers to boycott South African-hosted legislative events over anti-migrant violence targeting Nigerians and other Africans, parliament spokesman Akin Rotimi said, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Nigerian officials have cited dozens of Nigerian deaths in related attacks since 2022; South Africa’s foreign minister visited Abuja in July on the issue.

10. Ambae–Santo, Vanuatu. Inter-island ferry MV Matui sank Friday in rough seas between Ambae and Santo with 34 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Seven people were rescued and about 38 remained missing as searches continued Saturday, police told Vanuatu broadcaster VBCTC, ABC News reported. Luganville harbour master Terry Ngwele said two people were rescued Saturday; communities on Ambae were asked to watch for survivors.

Coming up. Sunday 13 September — BRICS summit continues, New Delhi; Sweden general election. Tuesday 15 September — Brazil Supreme Court full session (Banco Master disputes). Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; Associated Press; AFP; ABC News (Australia); The Hindu; The Guardian; RFE/RL.

World Brief: September 12, 2026

Houthis hold Perim at Bab el-Mandeb as Trump tells Riyadh the U.S. will share intelligence but not fight them directly; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline stays shut after drones from Iraq; and BRICS leaders in New Delhi urge maximum restraint in the Middle East. Ten stories as of Saturday morning, September 12.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached Perim (Mayun) Island at the mouth of the Red Sea on Friday, putting them in position to choke Bab el-Mandeb after seizing Mocha, Reuters reported. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Trump for U.S. military help against the Houthis; Trump told him Washington would share intelligence but not intervene directly for now, three sources told Reuters. Trump confirmed Saturday he had spoken to the crown prince. Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea export routes since Hormuz disruptions, BBC and Reuters reported.

2. Riyadh / East-West pipeline. Saudi Arabia shut its critical East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after drones launched from Iraq’s Maysan province hit sites in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and damage, the Saudi energy and foreign ministries said. The line had been moving about 4–5% of global oil supply by routing crude to Yanbu and around Hormuz, Reuters reported. Riyadh said it would not retaliate for now at Baghdad’s request; Iraq dismissed the Maysan operations commander and opened an investigation, BBC and Al Jazeera reported. Brent has pushed above $100 a barrel.

3. New Delhi. BRICS leaders unanimously adopted a New Delhi Declaration on Saturday expressing “deep concern” over Middle East escalation and calling for maximum restraint and a multilateral approach, Reuters reported. The bloc includes both Iran and the UAE; the text also flagged concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures. Member leaders are meeting this weekend at Bharat Mandapam under India’s chair.

4. Wonsan / East Sea. North Korea fired several ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea around 5:20 a.m. Saturday; they flew about 250 kilometers, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Al Jazeera, AFP, Reuters, and AP reported. The launches came a day after U.S.–South Korea–Japan Freedom Edge drills ended. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the event did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory or allies.

5. Kyiv / New Delhi. Russian strikes killed civilians and wounded dozens across Ukraine; regional tallies put the overnight toll as high as 11 dead and 96 injured, with Odesa hard hit, Euronews and local officials reported. At the BRICS summit, Putin warned that deploying European troops to Ukraine would mean “a war with Russia,” while denying Moscow threatens Europe, AP and wires reported via The Independent.

6. Beirut / Rome. U.S.-mediated Israel–Lebanon talks scheduled for Rome next week were postponed to October, a U.S. official told Axios; Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are due to meet in Washington instead, Reuters reported. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday there are “no new negotiations with Israel at present,” insisting on Israeli withdrawal, prisoner returns, and reconstruction as southern Lebanon saw further strikes and demolitions, Al Jazeera reported.

7. Bogotá. Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella formally shut down all peace negotiations with illegal armed groups on Friday, ending Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” talks with the ELN, FARC dissidents, Clan del Golfo, and urban gangs, the presidency said. Negotiators’ credentials were revoked; groups face voluntary submission to justice or military confrontation, Anadolu Agency reported.

8. Dublin / Ottawa. In Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, President Trump said Canada wants a trade deal “very badly” and that one is likely “fairly soon,” without saying formal talks had resumed, Bloomberg reported. Formal Canada–U.S. negotiations were suspended in August; Canada’s matching counter-tariffs on about $27.6 billion of U.S. goods took effect September 8, per the Government of Canada.

10. Ambae–Santo, Vanuatu. Inter-island ferry MV Matui sank Friday in rough seas between Ambae and Santo with 34 passengers and 11 crew aboard; seven people were rescued and about 38 remained missing as searches continued Saturday, police told Vanuatu broadcaster VBCTC, ABC News reported.

Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi (underway). Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; Associated Press; AFP; ABC News (Australia); Bloomberg; Anadolu Agency.

Israel-Lebanon Talks Postponed Amid Southern Lebanon Strikes: September 12, 2026

BEIRUT — The next round of United States-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon has been postponed as Israeli forces continue to strike and demolish buildings across southern Lebanon, AFP and AP reported via Al Jazeera.

An unnamed U.S. official told AFP that talks planned for this month in Rome will not happen until October. Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors are instead to meet at the State Department next week on a June framework agreement under which the Lebanese army would disarm Hezbollah in “pilot zones.”

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, visiting war-hit Nabatieh on Saturday, said there would be “no new negotiations with Israel at the moment,” while pledging withdrawal, return of prisoners and displaced people, and reconstruction as national principles.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon to stop Hezbollah from re-establishing itself. The same day, Israeli forces detonated 1,100 tonnes of explosives at what they called a Hezbollah command complex in the Ali al-Taher Ridge. Local reports put at least 29 people killed in the Nabatieh area in the past two weeks.

Sources: Al Jazeera (AFP/AP)

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Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Oil Pipeline After Iraq-Origin Drone Attack: September 12, 2026

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has closed its 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) East-West oil pipeline after drones launched from Iraq attacked the line, the BBC and Al Jazeera reported, widening pressure on global energy routes already strained by the U.S.–Iran war.

Saudi officials said Friday’s strikes hit areas in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and damage still being assessed. The Energy Ministry said the Abqaiq-to-Yanbu pipeline was shut as a precaution while teams secured the line. Reuters has reported the pipeline had been moving 4% to 5% of global oil supply.

Iraq’s prime minister’s office said the attack originated in Maysan province, which borders Iran, and that the provincial operations commander had been removed pending an investigation. Riyadh said it would not retaliate for now after a call from Baghdad but reserved the right to take all necessary measures.

Al Jazeera cited security sources telling Reuters that Iraq also ordered the Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran closed as a precaution. Brent crude has traded above $100 a barrel amid Houthi advances on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and continued Hormuz disruption.

Sources: BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters

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North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles After Trilateral Drills: September 12, 2026

SEOUL — North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, a day after Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo wrapped up five days of trilateral maritime drills.

The JCS detected the launches from the Wonsan area around 5:20 a.m. local time. The missiles flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles). South Korea’s presidential National Security Office held an emergency meeting with the Defence Ministry and other agencies.

U.S. Pacific Command said the launch “does not pose an immediate threat” to U.S. territory or allies and reaffirmed commitments to South Korea’s defense. North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song Gi had denounced the Freedom Edge exercises earlier in the week and warned of “strong and reflective countermeasures.”

Pyongyang last fired a short-range ballistic missile barrage into the East Sea on August 20 during separate U.S.–South Korea exercises. Reporting was compiled by Al Jazeera from AFP, Reuters, and the Associated Press.

Sources: Al Jazeera, AFP/Reuters/AP

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BRICS Agrees Joint Declaration as Leaders Meet in New Delhi: September 12, 2026

NEW DELHI — The BRICS group of emerging economies has agreed on a joint declaration as leaders began summit talks in New Delhi, sources told Reuters on Saturday, a diplomatic breakthrough for a bloc seeking more global clout.

Four sources said the text is unlikely to name any country but will condemn unilateral aggression. Leaders were expected to approve the document later Saturday. Host Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the meeting saying the Global South is “in the front row when it comes to global crises, but in the back row when it comes to decision-making,” and renewed India’s call for U.N. Security Council reform.

Attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Negotiators had to bridge Iran–UAE tensions over the Gulf conflict; BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in May failed to issue a joint statement.

The grouping — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates — accounts for more than 40% of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of the global economy. Members want greater say in reforming the IMF, World Bank, and WTO.

Sources: Reuters

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World Brief, Evening: September 11, 2026

Houthis reached Perim and Dhubab at Bab el-Mandeb; Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was hit by drones from Iraq and shut as a precaution; and Brent settled near $105 with U.S. crude closing just above $100. Ten stories as of Friday evening, September 11.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim (Mayun) in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, and two Yemeni government sources told Reuters forces also pulled out of the facing coastal town of Dhubab a day after Mocha fell. Witnesses and local officials described Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab area; Houthi confirmation was not immediate. Government forces said they would try to retake captured Red Sea ground, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera reported.

2. Riyadh / Medina. Saudi Arabia said drones launched from Iraq struck its East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions, causing injuries and material damage, and the Energy Ministry temporarily shut the line as a precaution, Reuters and Al Jazeera reported. Riyadh said it would hold off on retaliation for now at Iraq’s request while reserving the right to act; Baghdad condemned the attack and opened an investigation. The 1,200-kilometer line has been moving about 4–5 million barrels a day as a Hormuz workaround.

3. London / New York. Brent settled at $104.61 and U.S. crude at $100.05 on Friday, down on the day but on track for a weekly gain of more than 8% and a weekly finish above $100 for the first time since mid-May, Reuters reported. U.S. diesel cleared $6 a gallon for the first time (GasBuddy). The IEA said Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million bpd in August, the lowest in more than three decades.

4. Washington. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump at least twice on Thursday seeking U.S. military help against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters; Washington said it would not take direct military action for now but would help with intelligence and targeting. In a September 11 anniversary speech, Trump again called Iran the world’s top sponsor of terror.

5. Kyiv / Saratov. Russia attacked two Kyiv petrol stations with jet-powered drones early Friday, killing two people; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said twelve others including a child were injured, and President Zelenskiy said the jet-powered Shahed campaign was becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature,” Reuters reported. Ukraine’s General Staff later said it struck Rosneft’s Saratov oil refinery in the Volga region, with fires detected at the site.

6. Stockholm. Sweden’s centre-left opposition held a narrow lead two days before Sunday’s election, three Friday polls showed, with combined support of about 49.3–50.8% versus about 47.6–49.0% for the ruling right and Sweden Democrats, Reuters reported. Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson remains favorite to return as prime minister, but one survey showed a margin of a single seat and the Liberals clearing the 4% threshold kept the race tight.

7. New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in New Delhi on Friday ahead of the BRICS Leaders’ Summit Saturday–Sunday, discussing trade toward a $100 billion target by 2030, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, and conflicts affecting Indian seafarers, Indian reporting and Reuters said. Putin said BRICS was “not against anyone”; Xi Jinping’s first India trip in seven years and Iranian President Pezeshkian’s attendance keep the Hormuz fight inside the room.

8. Brasília. Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered thousands of Banco Master fraud-probe pages unsealed; records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading runoff rival — is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to banker Daniel Vorcaro’s film financing, Reuters reported. A full-court session is set for Tuesday on the Moraes–Mendonça clash; Lula backed full disclosure.

9. Kampala / Tooro. Uganda’s government is mediating last-ditch talks so King Oyo Nyimba can be buried Saturday after a succession fight: a royal-clan committee named cousin Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while the late king’s sister says his will points to a biological son, Reuters reported. A new king is required to perform burial rituals.

10. Sydney. A controller shortage cancelled about 14 inbound flights and caused hour-plus delays at Sydney Airport Friday morning, Airservices Australia told a Senate committee, Reuters reported. Eight of 49 Sydney controllers are on long-term absence; flow measures lifted at 8:15 a.m. local after unplanned absenteeism. The ATSB is probing a recent string of near-misses.

Coming up. Saturday–Sunday 12–13 September — BRICS summit, New Delhi. Sunday 13 September — Sweden general election. Tuesday 15 September — Brazil Supreme Court full session. Tuesday–Wednesday 15–16 September — Federal Open Market Committee with projections. Sept. 20 — Russia State Duma election. UNGA high-level week Sept. 22–26 and 28. The standing calendar is at The Watch.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; AFP.

World Brief: September 11, 2026

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Houthis reached Perim Island at Bab el-Mandeb; U.S. diesel cleared $6 as oil stayed on track for a weekly finish above $100; and Trump said he does not regret the Iran war. Ten stories as of Friday morning, September 11.

1. Perim / Bab el-Mandeb. YemReuters, a day after seizing Mocha. Witnesses and a local official told AFP the Houthis had taken the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayun; Houthi confirmation was not immediate. Saudi Arabia has leaned on Red Sea shipping since Hormuz disruptions, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera reported.

2. London / New York. Brent fell to about $104.35 and U.S. crude to about $99.07 on Friday but remained on track for a weekly gain of more than 8% and a close above $100 for the first time since mid-May, Reuters reported. U.S. diesel cleared $6 a gallon for the first time (GasBuddy); the IEA said Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million bpd in August, the lowest in more than three decades. Prices eased after the Financial Times reported Gulf ministers were seeking a temporary Hormuz shipping deal with Iran.

3. Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its navy struck a U.S. “Saildrone-type” unmanned vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, and the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported projectiles hitting two vessels off Oman, Al Jazeera reported. Vessel transits at Hormuz fell to seven on Thursday from 11 the day before, Reuters ship-tracking data showed.

4. Washington. President Trump told Fox News he does not regret the Iran war despite midterm risk — “If I had it to do again, I would do exactly as I did” — and again said the war “ends right after the election,” framing Tehran as trying to influence November, Reuters reported.

5. Islamabad / Dubai. Pakistan’s dual role as Riyadh’s defence partner and a backchannel to Tehran is under strain as Saudi–Houthi fighting escalates; Islamabad delivered a Saudi warning urging Iran to rein in the Houthis, Saudi, Pakistani, and Iranian sources told Reuters. Field Marshal Asim Munir spoke with Iran’s foreign minister on de-escalation; the foreign ministry said no military response to Houthi attacks was under discussion.

6. Kyiv. Russia attacked two Kyiv petrol stations with jet-powered drones early Friday, killing two people; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said twelve others including a child were injured, and President Zelenskiy said the jet-powered Shahed campaign was becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature,” Reuters reported. Ukraine said it struck Russian energy and logistics targets; Russian officials reported deaths in Tula and Kursk from Ukrainian drones.

7. Brasília. Chief Justice Edson Fachin ordered thousands of Banco Master fraud-probe pages unsealed; records show Senator Flávio Bolsonaro — Lula’s leading runoff rival — is under investigation for alleged corruption and money laundering tied to banker Daniel Vorcaro’s film financing, Reuters reported. A full-court session is set for Tuesday on the Moraes–Mendonça clash; Lula backed full disclosure.

8. Kampala / Tooro. Uganda’s government is mediating last-ditch talks so King Oyo Nyimba can be buried Saturday after a succession fight: a royal-clan committee named cousin Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while the late king’s sister says his will points to a biological son, Reuters reported. A new king is required to perform burial rituals.

9. Sydney. A controller shortage cancelled about 14 inbound flights and caused hour-plus delays at Sydney Airport Friday morning, Airservices Australia told a Senate committee, Reuters reported. Eight of 49 Sydney controllers are on long-term absence; flow measures lifted at 8:15 a.m. local after unplanned absenteeism. The ATSB is probing a recent string of near-misses.

10. Gaza. Israel’s military said Friday it killed senior Hamas commander Mohammed Abdel Salam al-Yazouri in a Thursday Gaza airstrike, and Hamas’s armed wing confirmed his death, saying he helped plan the October 7, 2023 attacks, Reuters reported. The military said two other commanders were also killed in the strike.

Sources: Reuters; BBC; Al Jazeera; AFP.

Pakistan Squeezed as Saudi-Houthi Fight Tests Dual Role: September 11, 2026

Pakistan’s attempt to serve as both Riyadh’s defense partner and a backchannel to Tehran is under fresh strain as fighting between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi forces escalates, Reuters reported Friday.

Islamabad this week delivered a Saudi warning urging Iran to rein in the Houthis, Saudi, Pakistani, and Iranian sources told Reuters. Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi about restoring diplomatic efforts to de-escalate, a Pakistani source said.

Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said no military response to Houthi attacks was under discussion and that Islamabad “has consistently opposed escalation and advocated restraint, dialogue and diplomacy.”

The fighting is an early test of a mutual-defense arrangement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed last month. Pakistani soldiers are deployed near the Saudi border with Yemen, two Pakistani officials told Reuters in July, raising Islamabad’s exposure even as the country still depends on oil and gas shipments through Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Sources: Reuters

Houthis Reach Perim Island at Mouth of Bab el-Mandeb: September 11, 2026

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, tightening pressure on one of the world’s vital shipping corridors.

Two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government said its forces had withdrawn from Perim and that the Houthis had also taken the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, which faces the island.

If the Houthis gain fuller control of the strait — on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz — it could give their backer Iran leverage in the wider war with the United States by squeezing a second major energy transit route.

Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on Red Sea export routes since the Iran conflict disrupted Hormuz traffic. The International Energy Agency said Friday that Saudi crude supply fell 2.3 million barrels per day in August to 6 million bpd, the lowest in more than three decades, partly because of threats to Bab el-Mandeb traffic.

Yemeni government forces said they would try to retake areas seized in this week’s coastal offensive, including routes toward Mocha, which the Houthis captured Thursday along with the Hanish islands. Reuters reported Thursday that the advance came with guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, according to Yemeni, Iranian, and regional sources; Tehran publicly denies directing the Houthis as a proxy.

Sources: Reuters, Reuters

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