Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have taken control of Mayun, an island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, raising fresh concerns about commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. The seizure was confirmed Friday by a senior military official representing Yemen’s internationally recognized government and by a Houthi official. Both officials spoke anonymously, saying they were not authorized to brief journalists. Mayun, also known as Perim, sits in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and Djibouti. About 12% of global goods normally pass through the strait, including shipments bound for or departing from the Red Sea. The waterway has become particularly important to Saudi Arabia as conflict and attacks have disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said maritime traffic would remain safe for all companies except those operating Saudi vessels. The assurance has done little to calm markets or shipping analysts, who have described the group as difficult to predict. The development came as Saudi Arabia suspended operations on its East-West oil pipeline, calling the move a precaution after attacks the previous day. The pipeline carries oil across Saudi Arabia to ports on the Red Sea, allowing the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi officials did not identify those responsible for the attacks. Saudi exports through the Red Sea port connected to the pipeline have more than doubled since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, according to the International Energy Agency. Any threat to Mayun or the Bab el-Mandeb could therefore affect both regional security and a significant share of the energy trade. Iraq’s government said Saturday that its prime minister had ordered an investigation after authorities concluded that attacks on Saudi Arabia were launched from Iraq’s Maysan province. The commander of the province’s operations command was dismissed. The Houthis also seized a compound in the Yemeni port city of Mokha that had housed United Nations personnel, U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said. All staff members left safely before the city was captured, and no U.N. personnel remain there, he said. The Houthis control much of northern Yemen and have attacked shipping in and around the Red Sea during the wider regional conflict. Iran denies supplying the rebels, though the group has received advanced weapons and other support that international officials have linked to Tehran. The takeover of Mayun adds a physical foothold at a chokepoint already under pressure from missile, drone and maritime attacks. For shipping companies, the immediate concern is whether the island’s capture will translate into new threats against vessels connected to Saudi Arabia or further increase the cost and risk of using the Red Sea route.