Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized Mayun island at the entrance to the Red Sea, a move that threatens one of the world’s most important shipping corridors and puts Saudi oil exports under greater pressure. The takeover was confirmed by a senior official from Yemen’s internationally recognized government and by a Houthi official. Both officials spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to brief journalists. Mayun sits in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Roughly 12% of global goods normally move through the waterway, making control of the island strategically significant for commercial shipping and regional security. The seizure comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been heavily disrupted by the war involving Iran. That has increased the importance of Red Sea routes as an alternative path for Saudi oil and other exports. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Friday that maritime traffic was safe for all companies except those operating Saudi vessels. The statement offered little reassurance to shipping companies, with regional experts warning that the militant group’s actions are difficult to predict. Saudi Arabia separately announced Friday that it had shut down its East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after attacks the previous day. The Energy Ministry did not identify those responsible. The pipeline has allowed Saudi Arabia to move oil to the Red Sea and maintain exports while Hormuz shipping has faced disruption. The International Energy Agency said Saudi exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s western end have more than doubled since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iraq’s government said Saturday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the operations command in Maysan province and removed its commander after authorities concluded that attacks on Saudi Arabia had been launched from a site in the province. The widening threat has already reached humanitarian operations. United Nations spokesman Farhan Haq said Houthi fighters seized a compound in Mokha that had housed U.N. personnel. All staff escaped safely before the city was captured, and no U.N. personnel remain there, Haq said. The developments demonstrate how quickly the conflict is expanding beyond battle lines in Yemen. A militant faction now holds terrain overlooking a major international shipping lane, while attacks and countermeasures threaten to raise transportation and energy costs far beyond the region.