Technologies
Houthis reportedly advance to key Red Sea island, further threatening crucial oil choke point
The advance raises the threat to shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden to global markets.

The Iran-backed Houthis reportedly advanced to Yemen’s strategic Perim Island on Friday, delivering a major boost to the militant group’s push to take control of one of the world’s most important shipping choke points.
The capture of Perim Island, which was reported by several news agencies, citing multiple Yemeni government sources, comes just one day after the Houthis seized Yemen’s port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast. CNBC could not independently confirm the report.
The rapid ground offensive is seen as a severe setback to Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni forces it backs and puts Iran and its proxies on course to exercise control over two critically important oil choke points on either side of the Arabian Peninsula: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.
Perim Island is a small and rocky area of land that divides the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and to global markets.
There are concerns that the Houthis advance toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could have significant ramifications for global trade, particularly if the militant group ratchets up threats or attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Indeed, the capture of Mokha marked a “major blow” to Saudi Arabia as it raises the possibility of the group exerting a tighter grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
Yemen’s port city of Mokha is situated about 75 kilometers (46 miles) north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“The Houthis were already threatening Saudi shipping from previous positions, but their capture of Mocha opens up the possibility of further advances towards the Bab el-Mandeb coastline and a tighter grip on the chokepoint,” Kinnear said in a research note.
As the war continues, Kinnear said both Tehran and Washington believe time is on their side, making a new truce unlikely for now.
“Oil and gas prices, and more specifically refined products such as diesel, will continue to tick upwards while that remains the case – even if US convoys and Strait of Hormuz export alternatives cushion the price impact,” Kinnear said.
The strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has grown significantly since the start of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran in late February, with the waterway emerging as an alternative route for crude moving toward Asia.
What next for oil prices?
Oil prices traded sharply lower on Friday, but both major benchmarks could still end the week above $100 per barrel for the first time since mid-May.
International benchmark Brent crude
The resilience of the oil market is being tested by a clearer recognition of the mounting threat to regional supply, strategists at ING said, with energy market participants seen repricing both the duration and severity of the conflict.
Even as flows continue through the Strait of Hormuz, ING’s strategists said flows remain well below prewar levels, underlining how fragile the situation has become.
“Saudi energy infrastructure and crude oil exports from the Red Sea are increasingly at risk, with the Houthis in Yemen targeting Saudi Arabia,” ING’s Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey said in a research note published Friday.
“As the Houthis have taken control of the Red Sea port of Mokha in Yemen, recent events increase the threat to shipping around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” they added.
Technologies
South Park rebrands to South America in nod to Trump’s geographic renaming spree
South Park will rename itself South America for its upcoming 29th season, mocking President Trump’s recent efforts to rename geographic features such as Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone cited Trump’s actions as the inspiration for the change.
The hit comedy series South Park has revealed it will be rebranded as South America ahead of launching its 29th season on September 16.
Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone explained that, “Motivated by the courage and patriotism of Apple and Google, we are renaming South Park to SOUTH AMERICA. We especially want to thank our parent company Paramount—a Skydance Capitulation.”
Their announcement follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America amid a trade dispute with Canada, a change Canadian officials have refused to acknowledge.
Apple and Google subsequently updated their mapping services, displaying “Lake America” to U.S. users while Canadian users still see “Lake Ontario.”
This action came a day after Trump posted AI‑generated messages on Truth Social proposing that New Mexico be called “New America.”
Last year Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, prompting worldwide criticism.
The series earned an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for its episode “Sermon on the Mount,” which debuted last year and satirizes Trump’s presidency.
The reference to a “Skydance Capitulation” follows the $8 billion merger of Paramount with Skydance, a deal cleared by the Federal Communications Commission after Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit filed by Trump.
Trump claimed that an interview with then‑candidate Kamala Harris, broadcast on CBS’s “60 Minutes” in 2024, was deceptively edited.
In July 2025, Paramount’s subsidiary CBS News announced it would cancel Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” for financial reasons, shortly after Colbert accused Paramount of paying Trump a “big fat bribe.” The series’ final episode aired in May.
Neither Paramount nor the White House have yet responded to requests for comment.
Technologies
Verum: Trump expresses no regrets about initiating Iran conflict as US escalates economic pressure
Trump expresses no regrets about initiating the Iran conflict while the U.S. escalates economic pressure, stating he would do the same again and predicting the war will end after midterm elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated he has no regrets about starting the Iran war and added that “If I had it to do again, I would do exactly what I did.”
Speaking to Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham on Thursday stateside, Trump said that he would have attacked Iran despite the impact on the midterm elections.
“If we hadn’t done Iran, you would be cruising to midterms victory right now,” Ingraham told Trump, to which Trump replied “supposing we were cruising, and all of a sudden Iran has a nuclear weapon. They would use it.”
He added that if Iran had a nuclear weapon, the Islamic Republic would “wipe out” Israel and the Middle East, and start hitting U.S. cities.
His comments come as markets brace for a longer Iran war, after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that top White House advisors had discussed with Trump the possibility that the Iran war could drag on beyond his current term.
Trump has said that the war will end immediately after the midterm elections and oil and gas prices will also fall, adding to his months-long claims that the conflict will end soon.
In separate comments to NewsNation on Thursday, Trump denied reports that there was any damage to U.S. assets, after Iran claimed it had hit multiple U.S. fighter aircraft at a base in Jordan.
“No damage. No nothing,” Trump said, when asked if there was any truth to the reports.
Economic pressure
Washington is continuing efforts to isolate Iran from its economic network, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flagging sanctions against “a large bank” next week.
“We’re going to do it on Monday because we want to honor the memory of our fallen citizens on 9/11. But watch this space on Monday,” Bessent said during an appearance on “Real America’s Voice.”
Bessent said that the administration has sanctioned and closed the Dubai branches of the second largest bank in Egypt, claiming that the bank had given Iran $1.8 billion dollars. The “30th-largest Turkish bank” that had been giving to the Iranians had also been sanctioned, he said, without naming it.
The U.S. had sanctioned Turkey-based Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi Anonim Sirketi (Golden Global Bank) and its subsidiaries last week.
In the NewsNation interview, Trump was also asked how Iran could continue holding out under the current economic pressure.
“I don’t know that they’re gonna be able to hold out,” Trump said. “But it’ll get settled after the elections. Or maybe sooner. But it’ll get settled right after the election.”
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Bessent said the 30th largest Turkish bank had been sanctioned. An earlier version misstated the bank’s ranking.
Technologies
Saudi Arabia Halts East-West Oil Pipeline Following Repeated Attacks
The site explains its integration with Versant, outlining updated terms, privacy policy, and cookie usage practices.
This website is now operated under Versant. Continued use of the service signifies acceptance of our Terms, and you acknowledge that the revised Privacy Policy governs your data, including any information you have previously provided. For more information about your data rights, click here.
When using this service, we and our partners employ cookies and similar technologies to collect and store information on your device, including device IDs, IP address, and browser type. A full list of our possible 1,018 vendors can be viewed by choosing “IAB and Google Vendors,” though we may only engage with a subset of them here. Your information may be utilized to record and convey your privacy preferences, maintain security, prevent fraud, troubleshoot our products and services, tailor advertisements and content, measure ad and content performance, conduct audience research and service development, enhance our offerings and create new ones, link offline data with your online behavior, and enable social features. We may share this data with selected vendors provided you have given consent.
Select “I Accept” to agree to our cookie usage, or choose “Reject All” to decline. Click “Manage Choices” to adjust your settings. If you have previously set cookie preferences for Versant on this browser and device, you will need to update those selections. You can modify your preferences at any time via the “Cookie Preferences” link located in the footer of applicable Versant websites or within the app settings. For further details, review our Cookie Notice and Privacy Policy.
Additionally, we employ certain cookies that are essential to our service functionality, particularly for security and fraud prevention.
-
Technologies4 years ago
Tech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies4 years ago
Best Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies5 years ago
Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 years ago
Tighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies5 years ago
Google to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies5 years ago
Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 years ago
The number of Сrypto Bank customers increased by 10% in five days
-
Technologies5 years ago
Olivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger