Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have captured Yemen’s port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed government forces, potentially opening up a second theater in the war between the U.S. and Iran. The capture of Mokha marks the Houthis’ largest territorial gain since a 2022 cease-fire in Yemen that paused major fighting between the group and Yemen’s government. The Houthis also disrupted shipping in 2024 in response to Israel’s occupation and bombardment of Gaza, which prompted the U.S. and U.K. to carry out deadly strikes on Yemen.
The Houthis swept south along the Red Sea coast before taking Mokha on Thursday and subsequently reached the Hanish archipelago, Yemeni government sources told . A Yemeni commander and a member of the Houthis’ political bureau separately confirmed the Houthi capture of Mokha to the . Government forces retreated south toward Dhubab, which overlooks Bab el-Mandeb.
Yemen’s government has reportedly launched airstrikes west of Taiz and warned civilians to avoid roads between Taiz and Mokha. Houthi-owned Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi-backed forces launched 40 airstrikes on the provinces of Taiz, Jawf, Hodeida, and Marib. Observers and Yemeni residents fear the escalation could renew an all-out civil war in Yemen.
Security Council on Thursday. The strait, which lies between Yemen, Djibouti and Eritrea and links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, has become more important since Iran militarized the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the U.S. and Israel’s Feb. 28 strikes. The Houthis reportedly received direct guidance and weapons from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iran reportedly told the Houthis last week to escalate their attacks on Saudi Arabia. Iran publicly maintains that the Houthis are “not a proxy.” The country’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that the conflict in Yemen must be resolved through dialogue instead of military action. It also invoked what it called the “expansionism of the Israeli regime with U.S. complicity.” Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesperson for the Houthis, posted on social media that the group will stop targeting Saudi ships when the “aggression” against Yemen ends.
A Houthi-run body in Yemen that communicates with commercial shipping companies said navigation through Bab el-Mandeb remained safe, except for Saudi vessels. The advance comes as Tehran has sought new ways to counter Washington’s economic pressure campaign and military attacks. A stronger Houthi position along the Red Sea coast could further constrain global energy supplies, raise shipping and insurance costs, and push up oil prices.
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