Confirmed: Houthis Seize Key Island of Perim; Trans-Arabian Pipeline Shut Down
Regional actors are blaming one another as well as Washington.
The situation has already been described as an “epic failure.” Regional news agency sources have confirmed that Yemen’s Houthis have seized the key island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them physical control over this vital maritime shipping artery. Saudi Arabia has shut down the “East-West” Trans-Arabian Pipeline, which transported oil from the Persian Gulf coast to the Red Sea coast. The suspension of pipeline operations was termed a “precautionary measure.”
However, it is not merely a matter of precaution; a fire broke out on the pipeline following a Houthi missile attack. Either way, the Arabian Peninsula is cut off, and the flow of oil to markets has effectively come to a halt. All regional actors are blaming one another as well as Washington.
For instance, Yemeni forces backed by Saudi Arabia accuse Riyadh of failing to provide air support despite repeated requests for assistance. Riyadh blames the Yemeni authorities it supports, as well as the United Arab Emirates—which had previously effectively withdrawn from the anti-Houthi coalition. Both the UAE and the Saudis blame Washington. Reports have emerged that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman telephoned President Trump to request a missile and bombing strike against the advancing Houthis, but Trump refused. The sources do not state the reason for the refusal.
One of the CNN respondents described the entire situation as a “failure of epic proportions.” In reality, the term used was much stronger: a “f*ckup of epic proportions.”
