Houthis have reportedly taken control of Yemen's strategic Red Sea port of Mokha

Yemen’s Houthis have reportedly taken control of Mokha, positioning the Iran-backed group nearer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a significant global trade route.

Reports indicate that Yemen’s Houthi fighters have taken control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, as stated by military sources and local residents.

The reported takeover positions the Iran-backed group approximately 75km (46 miles) from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which serves as the southern gateway to a significant shipping route connecting Asia and Europe.

Mokha residents reported that Houthi fighters entered the city following intense clashes with pro-government forces on Wednesday night, prompting many families to evacuate.

One resident remarked that the takeover instigated widespread panic throughout the city.

The takeover arrived unexpectedly. Panic engulfed the area, compelling individuals to escape amidst harrowing scenes of injured individuals sprawled in the streets, abandoned and without assistance,” he stated.

Another resident reported that Houthi fighters were patrolling the streets on Thursday, with government offices and shops remaining closed.

“Currently, we are uncertain about the actions of Ansar Allah,” he stated, using the group's official name. “People are concerned about their safety.”

Numerous displaced families were said to be moving eastward toward Aden, the location of Yemen’s internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council and government.

“We escaped with our children and continued to run.” We possess no bedding, no place to call home, and nothing else with us. Everything was obliterated in just one hour. “They didn’t even give us a chance or warn us beforehand,” a displaced woman told reporters.

The Houthis have yet to provide immediate confirmation regarding their capture of Mokha.

The Supreme Political Council announced on Thursday that hostilities had “ended in the western coast districts following the expulsion of Saudi enemy mobilizations," as reported by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.

Tarek Salah, leader of the pro-government National Resistance Forces, announced that he had relocated his command center on the west coast to a “safe location.”

He stated that his forces had incurred significant losses in recent days due to a Houthi offensive that Iran orchestrated and backed.


A Yemeni military source informed reporters that Houthi fighters have taken control of Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, located approximately 80km northwest of Mokha, following a rocket barrage and a ground assault utilizing boats.

The head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, urged Arab states and other nations to assist in safeguarding Yemen’s coastline and reinstating government authority.

The Houthi Supreme Political Council stated that the group possesses the right to defend Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial waters while also assuring the international community that navigation in the Red Sea continues to be safe.

The humanitarian operations coordination center of the group also stated that its embargo on Saudi ships is still in effect.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea reported that Saudi aircraft conducted 64 strikes in the past 24 hours across the western provinces of Taiz, Hudaydah, Marib, and Jawf.

There was no prompt reply from the Saudi military.

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia engaged in the conflict in Yemen announced on Wednesday its intention to react to a series of missile and drone assaults by the Houthis targeting the southwestern Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Jazan.

The Houthis executed a series of drone and missile strikes targeting southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Saudi authorities reported that 73 civilians sustained injuries and that fires erupted at multiple oil facilities, leading to a temporary disruption of operations.

The Houthis stated that the attacks were in response to Saudi air strikes targeting regions under their control, including a strike on a prison in Hazm, Jawf province, on Monday. The group reported that a minimum of 23 civilians lost their lives.

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government in its conflict with the Houthis during the prolonged civil war in the country.

An informal four-year ceasefire started to break down in July when the Houthis declared a “maritime embargo” on Saudi Arabia and began launching attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and tankers in the Red Sea.

The Houthis stated that the attacks were in response to a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in regions under their control, along with an airstrike on Sanaa airport that they attributed to Saudi Arabia.