Former Pentagon official warns Houthis entered ‘kill box’ after seizing Perim Island

Morgan Murphy, a former Pentagon press secretary and retired Navy captain, told Fox News that Houthi rebels have effectively entered a "kill box" following their September 11 seizure of Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. While Murphy acknowledged that the group has gained control over a critical global shipping chokepoint, he warned that the desolate volcanic island leaves them highly vulnerable to concentrated U.S. firepower. Murphy stated that the U.S. military possesses the capability to neutralize the position if ordered by the president. The island's capture followed a month-long offensive along Yemen’s western coast that, according to The Associated Press, resulted in over 1,500 deaths and a significant defeat for the Yemeni government. Reports indicate that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to authorize military strikes against Houthi positions, though the administration has currently declined direct intervention. President Trump noted in Dublin that the Houthis have signaled a desire to avoid direct confrontation with U.S. forces. Meanwhile, regional and Yemeni sources maintain that the Houthi advance is supported by Iranian weaponry and tactical direction from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.