Houthi rebels successfully completed a rapid advance to seize control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline on Friday, strengthening their hold over a critical global shipping corridor and providing a major advantage to their Iranian allies. Simultaneously, the Saudi energy ministry verified that strikes within Saudi Arabia forced the closure of a vital oil pipeline. According to a Saudi foreign ministry statement, drones launched from Iraq targeted the kingdom’s East-West pipeline, though Riyadh opted not to retaliate immediately at the request of Iraq’s prime minister while retaining the right to secure its sovereignty and critical facilities. The office of Iraq’s prime minister announced early Saturday that an Iraqi military commander was dismissed after investigations confirmed the recent drone strikes against Saudi Arabia originated from Iraq. News agencies, citing multiple sources, reported that Houthi forces captured Perim, an island strategically located in the Bab el Mandeb Strait, following the previous day’s capture of the historic port city of Mocha and an advance on Dhubab alongside the apparent withdrawal of Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government forces from Perim, also known as Mayun. A U.S. official and another source familiar with the matter stated that the U.S. military is assisting Saudi counterparts in developing and coordinating targets within Yemen after Saudi Arabia promised a firm response.
Source: nbcnews.com
