Houthis Seize Mokha, Expanding Control Near Bab el-Mandeb

Yemen's Houthi forces seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, expanding their control along Yemen's western coast and moving closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key international shipping route.

The strategic importance of Mokha has increased because the Red Sea has become an alternative route for some energy shipments while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.  [Photo: ]tower10, Wikimedia Commons]

The rapid Houthi advance was aided by Iranian weapons and military advice, according to sources cited by Reuters. The development represents a significant strategic gain for the Iran-aligned group and could increase Tehran's leverage over shipping through the Red Sea.

Mokha, also spelled Mocha, is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The waterway is a major shipping chokepoint and an important alternative route for vessels avoiding disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

The capture followed several days of fighting between Houthi forces and troops aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government. Government forces withdrew from the city and established an alternative command center farther south, according to reports.

The Houthis' advance has raised concerns that the group could use its new position to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The group has previously attacked vessels in the waterway, saying those operations were linked to the war in Gaza.

The Houthi advance also comes as Saudi Arabia faces increasing attacks and as shipping through the region is already being disrupted by the wider conflict involving Iran and the United States.

The strategic importance of Mokha has increased because the Red Sea has become an alternative route for some energy shipments while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.

Any further escalation around Bab el-Mandeb could therefore add pressure to global oil and shipping markets.

Reuters reported that Iranian sources said Tehran had provided the Houthis with weapons and guidance for the advance, while Iranian officials have publicly denied controlling the group.

The distinction is important: Iranian support is documented, but the Houthis retain their own political and military objectives.