Iran-backed Houthi militants have seized the strategic port city of Mokha on Yemen’s western coast after days of fighting with pro-government forces, further expanding their control along the Red Sea and near the Bab Al Mandeb shipping route.
“Resistance groups have left Mokha and are now deployed to Dhubab (46km) south of the city,” a Yemeni official told The National, referring to pro-government forces.
In a statement, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Vice Chairman Tareq Saleh said government forces, including the National Resistance, Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces, as well as units from Taiz, had suffered deaths and injuries during several days of Houthi attacks.
“We ordered the formation of an alternative command centre in a safe location to regroup the forces in consultation with the Arab coalition command and the Presidential Leadership Council,” he said.
Mokha, about 150km south of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah, has been a major base for government forces operating along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seeking to push the rebels out of their positions.
The capture marks a significant gain for the Houthis, giving them control of another strategically important point on Yemen’s western coastline overlooking one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.
"Our forces took control of the most important areas, mountains and high ground around Mokha, which has come under our control. Even if there is not a physical presence of our forces everywhere, Mokha can effectively be considered a city that has completely fallen," a Houthi militant commander said.
"With the fall of Mokha, Bab Al Mandeb can be considered under the administration of our forces. Their forces have little left to hold," he added. "There will be surprises in the coming hours."
Another Houthi source said that the decision to escalate attacks was "a turning point that should have been read clearly and carefully: the Yemenis will target oil lifelines in the Red Sea to put pressure on all sides".
Ship traffic through the Bab Al Mandeb dropped after the Houthis seized Mokha, with only 12 vessels crossing the strait as of 6pm on Thursday - far lower than the total of 30 on Wednesday, 26 on Tuesday and 29 on Monday, according to preliminary data from Kpler. Notably, only one of the 12 crossings was of a vessel entering the Red Sea, compared with 17 on Wednesday, 11 on Tuesday and 20 on Monday.
The capture of Mokha comes amid intensifying clashes between the rebels and government forces across several parts of Yemen, while the Houthis have also escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia and shipping in the Red Sea in support of Iran.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued emergency guidance, urging residents to remain calm and follow official instructions.
Houthi attacks on the kingdom continued even as Saudi Arabia sent a warning to Tehran through Pakistan to rein in the Houthis.
The Iran-backed militia launched “ballistic missiles and drones” at the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan on Wednesday, said Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, spokesman for the coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The coalition on Wednesday said Houthi attacks had injured at least 73 civilians in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. Saudi Arabia responded with 54 air strikes across Yemen, the Houthi rebels said.
Maj Gen Al Malki said the coalition would deal with the Houthi attacks responsibly to protect the kingdom’s sovereignty and national assets, as well as civilians and civilian objects. He added that this would be in accordance with the principle of self-defence under international law.
The warning to Tehran was delivered by Pakistan on Tuesday to restrain the Houthis, a source told The National.
Pakistan has a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey that considers an attack on one country as an attack on all three. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Islamabad was pursuing a diplomatic solution but warned that “unprovoked aggression or spillover … into Saudi Arabia will definitely make this agreement operational”.
On Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman reiterated Islamabad's condemnation of the “reprehensible” Houthi attacks. “Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the kingdom of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity,” he said.
An Iranian official confirmed the delivery of Saudi Arabia's message, but said that Tehran “does not control the Houthis”. Two Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran had instructed the Houthis last week to attack Saudi Arabia and had promised additional funding and weapons.
Despite extensive backing by Tehran since their takeover of Sanaa in 2014, the Houthis have sought to portray themselves as an Iranian partner, not a proxy. They are viewed as more reckless than proxies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which is directly under Tehran's command.
“The Houthis have their own ambitions,” former US deputy special envoy for Yemen Allison Minor earlier told The National. “The Houthis are more dangerous. They have at times been more reckless in pursuing their vision than Tehran.”
The UN had warned that Houthi attacks risked widening the conflict and undermining a political solution. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis agreed a truce in 2022, which had largely held, causing fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi forces to scale down dramatically.
But with Houthi attacks in Yemen against Saudi-backed government forces, in the Red Sea disrupting maritime shipping and on the kingdom itself, the Houthis' multi-front campaign is the most violent it has been in four years.
Yemen's government recently said it would engage with the Houthis militarily until it eradicated the group.
Asked about the developments in Yemen, a US administration official told The National: "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability."
The US "is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges", they said.
A State Department official added that the US is in regular communication with its regional allies and partners regarding Yemen.
We "remain focused on our shared counter-terrorism goals against the Houthis and other terrorist groups that sow chaos throughout the region", the official said.
