The Houthi movement has captured the towns of Hays and Al-Khawkha in Yemen's Ta'izz governorate, as well as the port city of Mocha, bringing over 2,000 square kilometers of territory under their control in the past 24 hours, according to The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. The gains give the Houthis near-total control of the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The next likely targets are the city of Taiz and the coastal city of Dhubab.
The Houthi movement has expanded its territorial control in Yemen's Ta'izz governorate over the past 24 hours, capturing the towns of Hays and Al-Khawkha in addition to the port city of al-Mokha, according to The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. The gains total over 2,000 square kilometers and give the Houthis near-total control of the Yemeni coastline along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, threatening shipping lanes and regional security.
The latest advances follow a rapid sequence of Houthi gains reported earlier today. The Zioneer first reported the overnight capture of Camp Khalid and the city of Hayz at 01:44 Jerusalem, followed by the capture of the strategic port city of al-Mokha at 04:31 and again at 05:58. The new update confirms the capture of Hays and Al-Khawkha, consolidating the Houthi hold on the coastline and tightening their grip on the strategic waterway.
As The Zioneer has reported, the Houthi movement, a primary proxy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has leveraged its control over Yemen's coastline to disrupt international maritime trade through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group declared a naval siege on the strait in late July, sparking a military confrontation with Saudi Arabia. The current offensive reshapes the balance of power along the strategic waterway, with the Houthis now controlling a continuous stretch of territory from the Red Sea coast inland toward Taiz.
The next likely targets are the city of Taiz, which faces operational encirclement, and the coastal city of Dhubab, the last port under the control of the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council. It remains unclear whether the Houthi advance will continue at this pace or face resistance from PLC-aligned forces.
10 developments
- DevelopingHouthis and IRGC capture western Yemen coast, seize Az-Zubab, advance toward Bab el-Mandeb
- DevelopingHouthis seize Hanish Islands group, tightening grip on Red Sea shipping lanes
- StrongHouthi capture of Bab el-Mandeb coast could enable full strait blockade, The Zioneer assesses
- StrongHouthis declared naval siege on Bab el-Mandeb last week, sparking Saudi confrontation
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