Mysterious air base being built on volcanic island off Yemen

A mysterious air base is seen being built on Yemen’s volcanic Mayun Island in this April 11, 2021 satellite photograph from Planet Labs Inc (Planet Labs Inc. via AP)

Tue, 25 May, 2021 - 17:22

Jon Gambrell, Associated Press

A mysterious air base is being built on a volcanic island off Yemen that sits in one of the world’s crucial maritime chokepoints for both energy shipments and commercial cargo.

While no country has claimed the Mayun Island air base in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, shipping traffic associated with a prior attempt to build a massive runway across the 3.5 mile-long island years ago links back to the United Arab Emirates.