Blame Erupts After Iran-Backed Houthis Capture Key Yemeni Port and Strategic Red Sea Island

Supporters of the Iran-backed Houthis were seen with their weapons at a rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon in Sanaa, Yemen. Desperate pleas for air cover from Yemeni generals began mid-morning on Thursday as an advance by the Iran-backed Huthis toward Yemen’s strategic port city of Mocha unfolded without backup support from Saudi Arabia.

“The Huthis committed everything they had – waves upon waves of fighters … along with their available ballistic missiles and weapons,” a senior Yemeni source attached to their military forces told CNN. The source stated he contacted the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and received assurances that the US was watching closely and Saudi air support was incoming, but it never arrived, leading to the fall of Mocha.

Hours later, the Huthis captured Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, splitting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and giving Tehran de facto control over another major shipping route. The rapid advance marks an extraordinary escalation in a conflict that had been frozen for years, fueled by tensions between the United States and Iran over global oil prices.

The swift fall of Mocha sparked immediate finger-pointing between US allies. While some regional sources blamed a disaster of political leadership and delayed decision-making in Washington DC and Riyadh, risk analysts like Mohammed al-Basha argued that internal divisions and depleted Yemeni battalions also contributed to the collapse of defenses.

As the Huthis consolidate their gains and mobilize for potential further advances, the situation threatens to elevate geopolitical tensions and impact global energy markets further.