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Yemen's Houthis seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha on Thursday, 10 September, moving the Iran-backed group closer to control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Internationally recognized government forces withdrew as the Houthis advanced, and three Yemeni government sources confirmed the city's fall to the Reuters news agency.
The offensive pushed out troops loyal to the Saudi-backed government, which described the retreat as a "tactical withdrawal" to regroup. Houthi fighters then pressed south toward Dhubab, close to the strait itself. Bab al-Mandeb narrows to about 29 kilometers at its tightest point, slightly less than the Strait of Hormuz.
Defence analyst Wolfgang Pusztai said the seizure lets the Houthis threaten the waterway with artillery alone, without missiles or drones. That would place much of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, and a large share of Saudi and international shipping, within range. Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, warned that Bab al-Mandeb "cannot become another Strait of Hormuz" and called for international action.
The Houthis said navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb remains safe, though their ban on Saudi-linked ships stays in place. The group has spent months striking oil facilities and other sites inside Saudi Arabia, and Saudi forces launched about 40 air raids on Yemeni governorates on Thursday, the Houthi-run Saba news agency said. Pakistan has warned Iran to rein in the group, saying a new mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye could be triggered if attacks persist. The rapid advance casts fresh doubt over the fragile 2022 truce and the safety of Red Sea trade.
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