Houthis Seize Key Yemeni Port City Near Bab el-Mandeb

Houthi forces have captured the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha on Thursday, September 10, advancing closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping route. Yemeni government sources confirmed the takeover of Mocha and its port, with witnesses reporting Houthi fighters entering the city. Government-aligned forces withdrew southward from Mocha and surrounding districts, regrouping near Dhubab, according to military and local sources. The reported capture of Mocha, located less than 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, grants the Houthi movement greater leverage over the approaches to this key maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. This development marks a significant territorial shift in the ongoing conflict, occurring after a period of reduced large-scale combat following a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022. The renewed fighting has also led to the displacement of thousands of civilians. Houthi media reported Saudi airstrikes across various parts of Yemen, while Saudi Arabia stated that Houthi attacks on its southern cities wounded at least 73 people.