Houthis Seize Mocha Port in Red Sea With Iranian Support

Yemeni Houthi forces have seized the port of Mocha on the Red Sea coast, significantly expanding their control over the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The group’s advance along the coast was carried out with support and guidance from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Reuters reports.

Sources in Yemen’s internationally recognized government and regional diplomats told the agency that Iranian specialists helped plan the operation and supplied the Houthis with weapons and intelligence.

The takeover of the port was facilitated by the widespread use of new types of weapons, including drones that the Houthis acquired through smuggling networks.

The loss of control over the city of Mocha poses new threats to international shipping, as it allows the Houthis to more effectively target and disrupt civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea.

Control over this major shipping route also puts pressure on global oil prices.

In the northern province of Al Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni army has launched a large-scale military operation against the Houthis.