New satellite imagery dated October 2025 confirms the near-completion of a 2,000-meter airstrip on Yemen’s Zuqar Island, a volcanic outcrop strategically positioned near the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. The construction, which began in April 2025 with the building of a new dock, has proceeded rapidly, with fresh runway markings visible by mid-October. Though no official party has claimed responsibility for the project, evidence strongly suggests a link to forces aligned against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Ship-tracking data and acknowledgments from a Dubai-based maritime firm that delivered asphalt link the construction to UAE-based companies. Analysts widely view the airstrip as the latest link in a growing network of offshore bases intended to bolster anti-Houthi capabilities. Its primary purpose is assessed to be enhancing aerial surveillance over the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to counter the Houthis’ persistent maritime attacks on international shipping and to curb the smuggling of weapons to the rebel-held areas near the port city of Hodeida. The new military asset underscores the ongoing regional power struggles and the critical importance of securing the Red Sea’s key shipping lanes.
