The Houthi movement has captured the strategic port city of al-Mokha on Yemen's Red Sea coast, according to reports from The Zioneer Intelligence Desk. The takeover gives the Houthis near-total control of the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council has withdrawn southward.
The Houthi movement has reportedly captured the strategic Red Sea port city of al-Mokha, placing nearly the entire Yemeni coastline of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait under their control. The development, reported by The Zioneer Intelligence Desk, follows a pattern of Houthi consolidation along the Red Sea coast. The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), the Saudi-backed governing body, has withdrawn towards southern Yemen.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait is a critical maritime chokepoint for global trade and Israeli energy security. The Houthis, an Iranian-aligned movement, have repeatedly targeted commercial vessels in the region and declared blockades against Saudi Arabia, as The Zioneer has documented. Saudi Arabia and its allies have been preparing countermeasures, including potential ground operations. The capture of al-Mokha significantly strengthens the Houthis' ability to interdict shipping in the strait. The status of the city's port infrastructure and any remaining PLC forces is not yet confirmed.
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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