Yemen Government Declares Peace Process at 'Dead End' as Houthis Complete Bab al-Mandeb Control With Perim Island Seizure

September 13, 2026 — Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and governor of Marib, accused the Houthis of bringing the UN-backed peace process to a 'dead end' and forcing the country back into a war footing, saying the government's ultimate objective remained 'the restoration of the capital, Sana'a.' Al-Arada said that since 2022 the Council had placed the search for peace at the center of its roadmap, with UN, Saudi and Omani backing, but accused the Houthis of rejecting those proposals. The statement followed the Houthis' capture of Mayun (Perim) Island on September 11, completing their hold over both shores of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after last week's seizure of the Red Sea port of Mocha — giving the group, per regional analysts, 'the real capability to shut down any maritime traffic through Bab al-Mandeb if they want to.' Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree framed the offensive as a 'siege for siege, escalation for escalation' response to Saudi-backed government pressure. Government forces claimed strikes destroying Houthi vehicles and weapons near Mocha, while Saudi Arabia was reported to have conducted 129 air raids across Taiz, Marib, Hodeidah and other governorates within 48 hours. More than 82,000 people have been displaced since early September, with over 2,000 fleeing to Djibouti in a single 24-hour period. No UN-mediated ceasefire talks were reported underway.