The spokesperson for Yemen’s Giants Brigades, Aseel Al-Saqladi, said in an exclusive statement to Alhurra that what was observed in the skies over Mayun Island at the entrance to the Red Sea was a “Houthi reconnaissance drone,” offering the latest account following days of conflicting reports surrounding what was described in the media as the “unknown aircraft” at Bab al-Mandab.
This clarification came after controversy began with the circulation of a different narrative that spoke of an “attempted landing” on the island, before the parties that had shared or circulated that information later walked it back.
The story began with a post shared by Yemeni journalists and media outlets, attributed to Yemen’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Yassin Saeed Noman, in which he described the reported developments as “extremely dangerous,” given the sensitivity of the island’s location at the entrance to Bab al-Mandab.
It later became clear that the ambassador had been reacting to what was published by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, which at the time reported an attempted landing by an unidentified military aircraft on Mayun’s airstrip, before stationed forces confronted it and prevented it from approaching, citing what the newspaper said were Yemeni military sources.
Later, the newspaper published a denial of the accuracy of that information, and Ambassador Noman deleted his post after receiving a denial from the relevant authorities, according to his statement.
The delay in issuing an official denial, along with the contradictory statements, appears to reflect a highly complex security situation on the island.
According to an informed source who spoke to Alhurra on condition of anonymity, forces currently deployed on Mayun Island include units affiliated with the Giants Brigades, as well as another force belonging to the Third Brigade of the Security Belt, which had previously been affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council before being recently rebranded under the name “National Security.”
The island also hosts a local force made up of its residents, led by Sheikh Saleh Khazour.
According to the source, this multiplicity of forces on the island reflects a multiplicity of centers of influence and control, which partially explains the conflicting accounts of what occurred.
Brigadier General Abduljabbar Al-Zahzouh, Director General of the Coast Guard in the Red Sea sector, was the first to deny the reports via Al-Jumhuriya TV, affiliated with Tariq Saleh, confirming that what had been reported was “completely baseless.” A similar denial was later issued by Yemen’s Ministry of Information.
Tariq Saleh’s forces hold particular importance in this context, as they have previously been praised by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) after intercepting an Iranian weapons shipment in the Red Sea. For years, they have shared with the Giants Brigades the responsibility of securing the western coastline of this vital maritime corridor.
Despite the official denials, the official narrative was not definitive. The head of the Coast Guard Authority, Major General Khaled Al-Qamli, stated that what occurred was “merely the flight of a military aircraft belonging to a friendly country,” describing it as a routine procedure, while at the same time denying reports of any landing attempt.
This entire controversy would not have reached such proportions were it not for the exceptional importance of the island itself.
Mayun Island, also known as Perim, lies at the heart of the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. It is a small volcanic island, but it divides the strait into two channels, giving it a unique position for monitoring shipping traffic and supply and energy routes.
The strait is divided into two channels separated by the island: an eastern narrow channel known as Bab Iskandar, which is no more than about three kilometers wide and approximately 30 meters deep, and a wider and deeper western channel, about 25 kilometers wide and more than 300 meters deep, which serves as the main route for ships and oil tankers.
Bab al-Mandab is considered one of the most important arteries of global trade, with between 12 and 15 percent of trade between Asia, Europe, and Africa passing through it. It is also a vital route for transporting oil from the Gulf to global markets.
The importance of Mayun is not limited to trade and energy but extends to regional security calculations. According to media reports, Israel considers the island part of its national security system, as any influence over it would allow monitoring of maritime routes in the Red Sea extending to the Arabian Sea and the Horn of Africa, including the sea route leading to the port of Eilat, which has been directly affected by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea in recent years.
The island has returned to prominence in recent years after satellite imagery revealed the presence of an airstrip and military facilities on it, indicating its transformation from a small geographic point into a potential military platform capable of supporting surveillance or aerial deployment operations in one of the most sensitive maritime regions in the world.
Geographically, the Bab al-Mandab Strait is about 30 kilometers wide, while some of its passages narrow to just a few kilometers, making any disruption there directly impactful on shipping traffic and maritime insurance costs. The strait is also connected to a broader maritime network extending from the Strait of Hormuz to the Suez Canal, reaching ports such as Eilat.
In this context, the possibility of escalation does not appear far-fetched. There is growing concern that Bab al-Mandab could become an additional pressure arena if confrontation with Iran escalates, particularly given the Houthis’ ability to target maritime navigation and threaten trade routes, potentially opening what resembles “another strait” parallel to Hormuz.
The article is a translation of the original Arabic.
Ezat Wagdi Ba Awaidhan
Ezat Wagdi Ba Awaidhan, a Yemeni journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Washington, D.C., holds a master's degree in media studies.
