A mysterious new airstrip has appeared on Yemen’s Zuqar Island, a strategic volcanic outcrop in the Red Sea, with satellite images revealing a nearly 2,000-meter runway under construction.
Here’s why this is a major development:
STRATEGIC LOCATION: The airstrip is positioned to monitor the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the chokepoint for a massive portion of global shipping, as well as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
COUNTER-HOUTHI MOVES: While unclaimed, the project is believed to be run by anti-Houthi forces, likely backed by the UAE, which has built similar bases in the region. It’s located near the Houthi-held port of Hodeida.
MARITIME SECURITY: The base could be used for extensive aerial surveillance to disrupt Houthi weapons smuggling and counter their ongoing attacks on international vessels (over 100 attacked since the Israel-Hamas conflict began).
This new military base signals a significant move to secure a vital global waterway and shift the balance of power in the ongoing Red Sea crisis.
