Houthi forces capture strategic Red Sea port of Mokha

Yemen's Houthi movement took control of the strategic port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast on 10 September, according to a Yemeni military source reported by Euronews and confirmed by CNN and Al Jazeera. Located approximately 150 kilometres south of the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, Mokha had served as a military base for Yemeni government forces attempting to limit the rebels' control of the coastline.

Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, stated that developments around Mokha and the Bab al-Mandeb strait "are not a purely Yemeni affair," emphasizing instead that they represent a matter of regional and international concern. This assessment reflects the strait's critical importance as a major gateway for shipping between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. CNN compared the strategic significance of the strait to that of the Strait of Hormuz, another key maritime chokepoint.

The capture of Mokha occurs alongside escalating attacks by the Houthi group on Saudi Arabia, as reported by The National, amid the broader regional tensions involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Multiple analysts and officials quoted in international media outlets have warned that sustained Houthi control of the strait could cause further disruption to international shipping routes already affected by regional instability.