The Houthi movement in Yemen has seized control of the strategic port city of Mocha (Mokha) on the Red Sea coast, according to The Zioneer. The capture strengthens the Iran-backed group's hold over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and critical maritime routes.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) has fully seized the strategic port city of Mocha (Mokha) on Yemen's Red Sea coast, according to confirmations from Yemeni government officials cited by Reuters and reported by The Zioneer. The capture, which unfolded over the past hours, gives the Houthis a territorial corridor on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, and cements the group's control over a stretch of coastline seized in recent days.
Earlier today, at 04:31 Jerusalem, reports citing Israeli media (N12) first indicated that Houthi forces had entered Mocha. Within the same hour, local footage and reports showed Saudi-backed forces withdrawing from the area, facilitating the takeover. Shortly thereafter, Yemeni government officials confirmed to Reuters that the Houthis had captured the city. The development follows a rapid Houthi offensive along the coast, in which the group captured the strategic Camp Khalid bin al-Walid east of Al-Mukha, and subsequently the towns of Hays, Al-Khawkha, and Yakhtul, seizing over 2,500 square kilometers of territory in the process, as The Zioneer reported.
The Houthi movement, an Iranian proxy that has been tightening its grip on Yemen's Red Sea coastline, has used the area to threaten shipping lanes and enforce a de facto blockade. In August, the group attacked a Saudi-flagged commercial vessel off the coast of Mocha, killing three crew members, as The Zioneer reported at the time. Saudi Arabia has been preparing a potential military response, including a reported multinational maritime coalition, amid heightened regional tensions.
The full extent of the Houthi presence in Mocha, the status of any local resistance, and the nature of any international response remain unconfirmed.
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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