Yemen's Houthis Capture Strategic Red Sea Port City of Mocha

Yemen’s Houthis have seized the crucial Red Sea city of Mocha, expanding their control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait, which serves as one of the world’s most vital trade routes. The Iran-backed group took over Mocha on Thursday as internationally recognised government forces withdrew, according to sources speaking with Al Jazeera’s Yemen correspondent, Yousef Mawry. Three Yemeni government sources also confirmed the city's capture to the Reuters news agency.

“The Yemeni government tried to put up a fight; they called reinforcements … but the overwhelming military pressure of the Ansar Allah Houthis eventually [led to them taking] over the port and the city itself,” Mawry reported, adding that the strategic district of Hais was also seized. Yemen’s government forces have yet to issue an official confirmation. Over the preceding 10 days, the Houthis had been pushing west of Taiz with the primary objective of capturing Mocha, moving closer to complete control over other coastal cities along the strait and the entire Yemeni Red Sea coast.

Mawry explained that Houthi control of the port of Mocha effectively grants them control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait. “This gives the Houthis the eyes, the ears, and the pressure to monitor international trade. Bab al-Mandeb is responsible for 10-12 percent of global trade,” he stated. Defence analyst Wolfgang Pusztai noted that seizing Mocha is a major development that puts the Yemeni rebels in a position to sever the road leading to Taiz, marking a “very significant blow against the government”. Pusztai added that it enables them to control nearly all of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, emphasizing its narrow 20km width which allows for control simply via artillery without necessarily needing missiles or drones.

Yemen’s ambassador to Qatar, Rajeh Badi, accused Iran of reigniting the war after a five-year lull and utilizing the Houthis to tighten its grip on Red Sea shipping lanes. Badi described the group as a key regional arm of Iran, alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq. While Pusztai acknowledged Iran's massive influence, he noted that “the Houthis are not only proxies of Iran. They are fighting also their own war.” As part of their offensive against the Saudi-backed government, the Houthis have previously targeted oil facilities and civilian infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the Houthi-affiliated news agency Saba reported that Saudi forces launched an additional 40 air strikes on the governorates of Taiz, Hodeidah, al-Jawf, and Marib.

Saudi foreign policy analyst Abdulaziz Alghashian described the rapid Houthi advance in southern Yemen as concerning and disappointing, though perhaps not overly surprising, attributing the success not just to Houthi strength but to a disorganisation among anti-Houthi forces. In response, Pakistan has warned Iran to restrain the group and noted that its defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye could become operational if Houthi attacks on Saudi territory persist, following the recent finalisation of the Mecca Defence Alliance.