Houthis seize Mokha port on Yemen’s Red Sea coast
Houthis reportedly entered Mokha on Yemen’s west coast, a strategic position overlooking the Bab el‑Mandeb shipping route.
Fighting between the Yemeni army and the Houthis has intensified along the Red Sea coast, and the Houthis have reportedly taken control of the port city of Mokha on Yemen's western shore.
Strategic gain near a key maritime chokepoint
Video clips circulating on social media appear to show Houthi fighters inside the town, though the footage's authenticity has not been confirmed. Mokha sits close to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage for international shipping into and out of the Red Sea.
If control of Mokha is confirmed, the Houthis would gain a stronger position to exert pressure on commercial maritime traffic and could potentially disrupt or attempt to block navigation through parts of the Red Sea.
The Houthis have been fighting the Yemeni government — which is backed by Saudi Arabia — for more than a decade. A truce reached in 2022 reduced the overall intensity of the conflict but did not produce a lasting political settlement.
Hostilities have flared again after the recent escalation in the wider regional confrontation involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Photo: press material from the event
