IRIA News

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Yemen’s Houthis have seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha and are advancing toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Yemeni military sources and residents, raising concerns over a wider disruption to one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The Houthi advance comes as fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has intensified along the country’s western coast. Government forces have reportedly withdrawn south toward Dhubab, a coastal town located directly beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis are also reported to have taken control of Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea and launched attacks against the Hanish Islands.

Reports that Houthi fighters have landed on Perim Island, which divides the Bab el-Mandeb into two shipping channels, have not been independently confirmed.

Push Toward Strategic Waterway

Mocha, also known as Mokha, had been held by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Residents said Houthi fighters entered the city, deployed around major intersections and closed roads leading into the area.

Local doctors also reported leaving a hospital after Houthi forces took control of the facility. Residents have been fleeing south toward government-held areas, including Aden.

The capture of Mocha places the Houthis closer to the Bab el-Mandeb, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The port is located roughly 80 kilometers from the strait.

The Houthis have been attacking Mocha since early August, with more than 25 missiles reportedly striking the city over several days and forcing port operations to stop.

Despite loss of ground to Yemeni government forces along their northern axis of advance, in a notable move, the Houthis have taken the coastal Yemeni city of Mocha overnight, as reports indicate they are now closing in on key island holdouts that put control of the strategic… pic.twitter.com/CWe7FHUKMN

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) September 10, 2026

Yemeni government forces have not publicly confirmed the complete fall of Mocha, although multiple local sources reported that Houthi forces had entered and taken control of key areas.

The next major objectives are believed to be Dhubab and Perim Island. Control of these positions would give the Houthis a much stronger position near the narrow maritime passage.

Bab el-Mandeb Becomes a Major Military Objective

The Bab el-Mandeb, whose name means “Gate of Tears,” is a narrow waterway between Yemen and the African coast. It is a critical route for ships traveling between the Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and the Suez Canal.

The waterway is particularly important for energy and commercial shipping. Oil and fuel shipments from the Gulf pass through the Red Sea toward the Suez Canal, while goods moving between Asia, Europe and other markets also use the route.

The Houthis previously disrupted shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb during their campaign against vessels they said were linked to Israel. The attacks forced many commercial ships to avoid the Red Sea and take longer routes around Africa.

A renewed Houthi push toward the strait could therefore create another major challenge for global shipping and energy markets, particularly as the wider region is already facing disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemeni government officials have repeatedly warned that the Houthis could attempt to establish a military position along the coast that would allow them to threaten shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb.

Major-General Sadeq Duwaid, spokesman for the government-affiliated National Resistance Forces, previously said Houthi attacks on Mocha and its port were intended to establish a position along the Red Sea coast and eventually create a situation similar to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.

Fighting Spreads Across Yemen

The latest offensive represents a major escalation in Yemen’s long-running conflict. The Houthis seized Sanaa and key government and military facilities in 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to retreat and eventually establish itself in the south.

Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 at the request of Yemen’s government, leading a coalition against the Houthis. Years of fighting caused widespread destruction and contributed to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the most intense fighting, but the agreement did not produce a permanent political settlement. The latest offensive has now raised concerns that Yemen could return to a broader conflict.

Houthi forces have recently advanced in western Taiz province, including around al-Shaqira, an important route linking Taiz with Yemen’s western coast. Government forces have responded with airstrikes against Houthi positions and reinforcements.

The Houthis have also claimed that Saudi forces carried out around 40 airstrikes in recent hours across Taiz, Hodeida, Al Jawf and Marib provinces. The claims have not been independently verified.

Saudi Arabia Faces New Houthi Attacks

The escalation has also extended into Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones toward several locations in southern Saudi Arabia. Civil defense authorities issued warnings in areas including Khamis Mushait and Abha.

Saudi Arabia has responded with strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The attacks come after Houthi strikes on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure reportedly wounded dozens of people, including women and children.

The renewed confrontation is adding pressure to Saudi Arabia, which has sought to prevent the Yemen conflict from returning to the scale seen during the earlier stages of the war.

The situation is also becoming increasingly connected to the wider conflict involving Iran, the U.S. and Israel.

Pakistan Warns Against Wider Escalation

Pakistan has also become involved diplomatically after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensified.

Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources said Islamabad conveyed a warning to Tehran to rein in its Houthi allies and prevent the regional crisis from escalating further.

A senior Iranian official confirmed that Pakistan delivered the message but said Iran does not control the Houthis.

At the same time, Iranian sources said Tehran had encouraged Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and offered additional funding and weapons. Those claims have not been independently verified.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that there was no discussion at present about a military response under the joint defense agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan would act when the “time comes.” The agreement, signed last month, states that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three.

Civilians Flee Fighting

The latest fighting is also causing new displacement inside Yemen. Hundreds of women and children reportedly left Mocha on Thursday for the provinces of Lahj and Aden, where they sought safety from the fighting.

Yemeni government data indicated that more than 20,000 people have been displaced in parts of Taiz and al-Hodeidah provinces over the past two weeks.

The humanitarian situation could deteriorate further if fighting spreads toward the Bab el-Mandeb and major coastal population centers.

Shipping Risks Increase

The developments come as global energy markets are already under pressure from instability across the region.

The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to disrupt commercial shipping using missiles, drones and other weapons. Their attacks forced international shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea, increasing voyage times and costs.

A sustained Houthi presence around the Bab el-Mandeb could create another major security challenge for vessels traveling between Asia and Europe.

The group’s advance also comes amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, another critical energy route in the region.

Oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel on Thursday as concerns over attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping increased. Since the latest fighting began, more than 500 people have reportedly been killed, most of them combatants, according to an AFP tally based on multiple sources.

The capture of Mocha does not by itself give the Houthis control of the Bab el-Mandeb. However, their advance along Yemen’s western coast, combined with reported operations around nearby islands, is bringing the group closer to the strategic waterway.

The coming days will determine whether the Houthis can consolidate their gains and move toward Dhubab and Perim Island, or whether Saudi-backed government forces can stop the advance before it reaches the strait.