Yemeni government forces have raised combat readiness on the strategic Mayun Island after thwarting what was described as a serious attempted airborne landing, amid growing concerns over potential threats to international shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.

 

According to the report, troops stationed on the island were ordered to elevate their readiness to the highest level following suspicious movements, including an محاولة هبوط by an unidentified military aircraft on the island’s airstrip.

 

Sources cited by the newspaper said the aircraft, believed to be a military transport plane, attempted a sudden landing but was intercepted by government forces, which prevented it from approaching, forcing it to withdraw. Its identity remains unconfirmed, though estimates suggest it may have been carrying personnel for a landing operation, underscoring the island’s strategic sensitivity.

 

Commenting on the incident, Yemen’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Yassin Saeed Noman, described the attempted landing over the past two days as “a dangerous event by all measures,” adding that its timing, amid escalating regional tensions, points to plans being prepared to ignite the situation in the area.

 

In a post on his Facebook page, later deleted, Noman said the successful interception reflected the efficiency of government forces, but stressed the need to treat the incident as a serious challenge requiring close scrutiny of the actors behind it and their intentions.

 

Mayun Island holds exceptional strategic importance due to its location at the heart of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and one of the world’s key routes for oil shipments and global trade.

 

The island hosts Yemeni forces overseen by Presidential Leadership Council member Tareq Saleh, whose forces had previously received support from the United Arab Emirates, which funded military installations there before withdrawing during its recent drawdown in Yemen.

 

The development comes amid heightened regional tensions, with Yemen’s Houthi movement increasingly involved in the conflict alongside Iran, launching missile and drone attacks toward Israel, raising concerns over the security of the Red Sea and vital maritime routes.

 

It also coincides with the termination of the United Nations mission monitoring the Hodeidah ceasefire, after years of limited progress, further complicating the security landscape along Yemen’s western coast.

 

Observers say the Mayun incident reflects intensifying competition over strategic locations in the region, warning that any disruption in the Bab al-Mandeb could trigger major shocks to global trade flows and energy supplies.