Iran-backed Houthi rebels defeated Saudi-backed forces and seized the strategic Yemeni port city of Al-Mocha near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, media outlets reported Thursday.
The dramatic military achievement brings the Iranian proxy closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and its goal of targeting shipping through the critical waterway to the Red Sea, a major threat to the regional balance of power. The development is a major blow to government forces, which has long controlled the strategic city.
Witnesses told media outlets that the Houthi forces seized the city while screaming “Death to Israel, death to America.”
The offensive began in recent days, with the Houthis capturing several communities bordering the Red Sea before advancing on Al-Mocha.
Clash Report said Al-Mocha fell during a rapid Houthi offensive that overwhelmed the defensive lines of forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
According to reports from the ground, the Houthis captured Hays, Al-Khawkhah and Yakhtul within a single day before continuing southward. Control of some areas changed hands repeatedly: Saudi-backed forces initially recaptured Hays but were forced to retreat after the Houthis renewed their offensive.
Houthi-affiliated maps claim that approximately 2,600 square kilometers—roughly seven times the size of the Gaza Strip—fell under the group’s control within a short period. The figure has not been independently verified, and the maps apparently include areas where the Houthis do not have firmly established military control. Nevertheless, the rapid collapse of local forces and the Houthi advance into the Al-Mocha area indicate a significant shift on the battlefield.
The offensive began on September 3 along several routes in the Taiz Governorate. It was designed to isolate Al-Mocha from the city of Taiz and the hinterland controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, seize supply routes and open a path southward toward Dhubab and Bab el-Mandeb.
An estimated 100 to 150 fighters from both sides were killed during the initial stages of the fighting. International reports indicate that the overall casualty toll has been higher since the conflict intensified in late August.
Senior Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi later conducted a “victory tour” of the Al-Jarrahi area. He was filmed driving an armored vehicle previously supplied by the United Arab Emirates to local forces and subsequently captured by the Houthis. The footage appeared intended to highlight the collapse of the Gulf-backed forces and pressure remaining fighters to surrender.
Meanwhile, Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, announced an amnesty for members of the opposing forces who lay down their weapons. The offer was apparently intended to accelerate the disintegration of local forces and reduce resistance as the Houthis advance southward.
Al-Mocha is a historic port city on Yemen’s western coast, north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Its capture gives the Houthis another base near the strategic shipping route linking the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Their next major objective is Dhubab, which lies even closer to the strait. Control of both areas would not give the Houthis complete physical control of Bab el-Mandeb, whose western shore faces Djibouti and Eritrea, but it would significantly expand their ability to threaten shipping with missiles, drones, explosive boats and naval mines.
The development is particularly concerning amid the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. If Iran continues disrupting the Persian Gulf’s principal energy route while the Houthis strengthen their hold over the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two of the world’s most critical maritime trade arteries could simultaneously come under pressure from Tehran and its allies.
Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial passage for oil tankers and cargo ships traveling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Disruptions there could force shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening voyages, raising insurance and transportation costs, and potentially driving up global energy and consumer-goods prices.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
