Houthis seize Mocha port, tightening grip on Red Sea trade routes
The Houthi capture of Mocha puts the strategic Bab al‑Mandab strait at risk and could reshape Middle East maritime dynamics.
Houthis entered the Red Sea city of Mocha on Thursday, raising the flag of the Iran‑aligned movement after a brief but fierce street battle. Witnesses reported fighters chanting “death to America, death to Israel” as they swept through the port, which sits just north of the vital Bab al‑Mandab waterway.
Why the takeover matters
The loss of Mocha gives the rebels a foothold on the coast that directly overlooks the strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Control of Bab al‑Mandab would allow the group to disrupt one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors, a route that has grown in importance since the wider Middle East conflict intensified earlier this year. Saudi Arabia responded with dozens of airstrikes, its military spokesman saying 64 strikes hit Yemen in the previous 24 hours, including ten on Taiz province.
In the capital, Rashad al‑Alimi, head of Yemen’s internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council, warned that safeguarding the coastline is “an Arab and international interest”. The rebels also claimed to have taken the small Zuqar Island after a combined rocket and boat assault.
What comes next
Analysts say the next logical step for the Houthis is to press further towards the strait itself, a move that could trigger a broader naval response from the Saudi‑led coalition and possibly Western powers protecting commercial shipping. United Nations Security Council members convened an emergency session, with the United Kingdom urging the Houthis to de‑escalate.
“We have moved our command centre to a safe location to regroup,” said Tarek Saleh, leader of the Yemeni National Resistance Forces that previously held Mocha.
Meanwhile, the conflict has already pushed oil benchmarks above $100 a barrel, reflecting market anxiety over supply disruptions. If the Houthis manage to threaten Bab al‑Mandab, the Red Sea could become a new flashpoint, compelling regional actors to reassess naval deployments and diplomatic strategies.
For now, civilians are fleeing inland, with reports of looting and an “apocalyptic” atmosphere in the captured city. The humanitarian toll is rising as the fighting threatens to undo years of fragile stability in Yemen.
