Houthis seize Yemen’s Mocha port, closing in on Bab al-Mandeb shipping chokepoint
UPDATED · Sun. 9:15 a.m. EDT
Iran-backed Houthi forces took the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday after Saudi-aligned National Resistance Forces withdrew south toward Dhubab, Yemeni government sources told Reuters, CNN, and Al Jazeera. Mocha sits roughly 50 miles north of Perim Island near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. AFP reported fighters also seized Zuqar Island. Saturday follow-ons from AFP/CNA and BBC say the Houthis have since cemented hold on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and islands around Bab al-Mandab (including Perim/Mayun and Hanish), tightening pressure on a corridor that carries a significant share of Asia–Europe trade and Gulf energy flows via the Suez Canal. Brent remained above $100 on Friday’s settle amid the dual-chokepoint squeeze. On Sunday, The National reported Houthis claimed further attacks on Saudi Arabia as they cemented Red Sea coast and island holdings; UN migration estimates put western Yemen displacement near 50,000, with Djibouti saying about 1,400 refugees arrived in 24 hours.
U.S. Navy ships transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. File photograph; not from Thursday’s Mocha fighting.
U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeffry A. Willadsen (public domain via Wikimedia Commons)
Center-left view
CNN, Al Jazeera, and AFP/CNA Saturday wrap emphasize the government withdrawal from Mocha, displacement toward Aden, and later reporting that Houthis cemented control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab islands after the week-long offensive — a major blow to Yemen’s internationally recognized authorities.
Sources: CNN · Al Jazeera · AFP / CNA
Center-right view
Reuters factbox coverage, The National, and Ynet stress Iran-backed Houthi leverage over Bab al-Mandeb energy and commodity routes, the push for full Red Sea coastal control, and the risk that coastal guns and missiles could coerce shipping already strained by the U.S.–Iran war and Saudi-site attacks.
Sources: Reuters · The National · Ynet