Breaking News: Iran-backed Houthis seize control of Yemeni port city Mocha, jeopardising the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital artery for international trade.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement has captured the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha and advanced towards positions overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical shipping route, according to reports from Fox News and Reuters. This development coincides with already constrained shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, creating pressure on vital global trade chokepoints.
The advance threatens the southern gateway to the Red Sea, with the Houthis now controlling territory on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula, according to Hisham Al-Omeisy, a senior Yemen advisor at the European Institute of Peace, who warned this will “drive prices – oil prices, goods and everything else – up exponentially”. Yemeni government sources confirmed the capture of Mocha and a reach towards the Hanish Islands, while Saudi-backed forces retreated south, according to Reuters. Control of the strait is vital as it connects the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
A senior US administration official stated the United States is focused on safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea while supporting regional partners, as reported by Fox News. Iranian sources, speaking to Reuters, claim Tehran instructed the Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia, with promises of increased funding and weaponry, despite public denials. Fighting has escalated, with ACLED recording at least 276 fatalities in recent clashes and Saudi Arabia launching a significant number of strikes against Houthi targets.
The situation is complicated by a new defence agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, with Pakistan stating no military response is currently under discussion despite the agreement’s collective defence clause, as examined by Reuters. Brent crude oil prices jumped over 5% to $106.60 a barrel in response to the unfolding events.
The Houthis claim international navigation remains safe, but maintain a blockade on Saudi vessels. Experts suggest reversing the Houthi gains will be extremely difficult given their entrenchment and reinforcement capabilities.
Sources: Fox News, The Daily Mail, The Jerusalem Post, Reuters.
