Houthis escalate fighting in Yemen, eyeing control over Mocha Port, Bab al-Mandab Strait - report

The Houthis have escalated hostilities in Yemen, aiming to secure control over the Mocha Port and Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to local security sources cited by The New York Times. The intensified fighting is centered around western Taiz, where the Houthis seek to reach the port city, situated approximately 50 miles from the strategic strait, as Colonel Abdul Basit al-Baher of the Yemeni government revealed.

In July, the Houthis imposed a blockade on Saudi oil tankers navigating the Red Sea, which serves as the primary route for most Saudi oil exports. Since then, they have conducted missile and drone strikes against ships and Saudi installations originating from northern Yemen. The New York Times corroborated the area's intense clashes through an anonymous second security official in Taiz, who confirmed that the Houthis are striving to disrupt supply routes leading to Mocha.

Earlier this month, Mocha Port faced multiple missile strikes, forcing it to temporarily halt operations following over 25 missiles targeting the facility over several days. The Houthis claimed the strikes were in response to a Saudi-backed military buildup in Mocha, defending their actions as preemptive measures, while accusing Saudi and Yemeni governments of preparing for a ground offensive.

Prior to this week, the majority of clashes involving the Houthis consisted solely of missile and drone attacks, with limited ground battles, as reported by The New York Times.