Yemen Resistance Forces Seize Hanish Islands Near Eritrea in Red Sea Advance

September 14, 2026

By Kulu Media 

Map showing the location of the Hanish Islands in the Red Sea between Yemen and Eritrea, north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Credit: Google Maps / Kulu Media illustration.

Houthis seize Hanish Islands near Eritrea as the Iran-aligned group expands its control across strategic positions in the southern Red Sea following its capture of Mocha and Perim Island.

Yemen’s Houthi forces captured Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish on Monday, September 14, after hundreds of government-allied troops withdrew from the archipelago, according to an Associated Press report.

The development confirms Houthi control of islands whose status had remained uncertain during the group’s rapid advance toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

It also moves the expanding Yemen conflict closer to the maritime approaches off Eritrea, adding another security concern to an increasingly unstable Red Sea corridor.Join Diaspora Networks

Houthis Seize Hanish Islands After Forces Withdraw

Two Yemeni government officials and a Houthi official told AP that Houthi fighters deployed on Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish after hundreds of government-allied forces withdrew.

The islands are approximately 160 kilometers north of Bab el-Mandeb and form part of a strategically important chain between Yemen and the Eritrean coast.

They had previously been controlled by the United Arab Emirates and its southern Yemeni allies. AP reported that the UAE dismantled its military infrastructure on the islands after its relations with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government deteriorated earlier this year.

Their capture extends the Houthis’ recent territorial gains beyond Yemen’s mainland Red Sea coast.

The group previously seized Mocha, a strategic port on Yemen’s western coast, before advancing south toward Bab el-Mandeb.

Hanish Capture Confirms Earlier Uncertain Reports

The status of the Hanish Islands had been unclear during the initial Houthi offensive.

When Houthi forces seized Perim Island inside Bab el-Mandeb, reports differed over whether the Hanish archipelago had also fallen.

Some reports indicated that the islands had been captured, while Yemeni military sources said more than 2,000 government troops were surrounded there and had been asked to surrender.

AP’s September 14 reporting now provides a clearer picture, with officials from both sides saying the Houthis deployed on Greater and Lesser Hanish after government-allied forces withdrew.

The development therefore represents another confirmed territorial gain in the Houthis’ rapidly expanding Red Sea offensive.

Strategic Islands Sit Across From Eritrea

The Hanish archipelago is particularly significant for the Horn of Africa because of its location between Yemen and Eritrea.

The islands sit north of Bab el-Mandeb along the southern Red Sea shipping corridor, placing them closer to Eritrea than the previously captured Perim Island.

Perim, also known as Mayun, lies directly inside Bab el-Mandeb between Yemen and Djibouti.

Together, the Houthi positions on Yemen’s western coastline, Perim and now the Hanish Islands significantly expand the group’s presence along waters facing the Horn of Africa.

Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and forms part of the principal maritime route linking Asia and the Middle East with Europe through the Suez Canal.

The waterway has become even more strategically important amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi Offensive Expands Across Yemen

The island seizures are part of a wider Houthi offensive that has pushed Yemen toward renewed large-scale civil war.

The group has advanced along the Red Sea coast while simultaneously conducting operations farther inland, particularly around Taiz.

According to AP, Yemen’s government Human Rights Ministry said around 150 civilians have been killed since September 3, while more than 200 others have been wounded.

More than 80,000 people have also been displaced during the renewed fighting.

The humanitarian consequences are already reaching the Horn of Africa, with thousands of Yemenis crossing the Red Sea toward Djibouti as fighting intensifies.

Saudi Arabia Seeks Support as Conflict Escalates

The expanding Houthi offensive is also increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on September 14 to discuss regional developments amid escalating Houthi attacks, according to Reuters.

The meeting followed an earlier Saudi request for U.S. military assistance against the Houthis.

Reuters reported that U.S. President Donald Trump did not agree to direct American strikes but Washington offered intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance to Riyadh.

The Houthis have meanwhile continued missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets, including oil and military infrastructure.

Red Sea Crisis Moves Closer to Horn of Africa

The fact that Houthis seize Hanish Islands adds a new Horn of Africa dimension to a conflict already threatening Bab el-Mandeb shipping.

For Eritrea, the latest territorial change is especially significant because the Hanish chain lies across the Red Sea from its coastline.

For Djibouti, Houthi control of Perim places the group directly across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while Somalia is already rethinking trade routes as regional maritime insecurity affects established shipping patterns.

Landlocked Ethiopia also has a major interest in uninterrupted Red Sea shipping because most of its maritime trade moves through neighboring Djibouti.

The Hanish capture does not by itself mean commercial navigation through the Red Sea has stopped. However, it gives the Houthis additional positions along a shipping corridor already facing heightened military and economic pressure.

Whether Saudi-backed Yemeni forces attempt to retake the islands, and whether the Houthis consolidate their new positions, will now be important for the security of the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.