Houthis claim major advance in Yemen and tighten grip on Red Sea shipping lane

Yemen's Houthis have claimed a major advance on the western Red Sea coast, consolidating their grip on the key international shipping route.

The Iran-backed group seized Perim Island at the mouth of the waterway in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a source from Yemen's internationally recognised government told the BBC.

It comes a day after the Houthis captured the strategic port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, according to military sources. A Yemeni military official told the AFP news agency the Houthis now control the entire coastline.