Houthi rebels capture key Red Sea port in Yemen

Houthi rebels have captured a key Red Sea port in Yemen from the Saudi Arabia-backed government. The port city of Mokha, located about 80km from the Bab Al Mandeb strait, was taken over by the rebels on Thursday. According to Semafor, the capture was powered by arms and advice from Tehran.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical waterway, and an expert told The New York Times that the Houthi's control of the area puts them one step closer to controlling "arguably Yemen's most strategically valuable real estate". The capture has raised concerns about regional security, with Gulf states at the UN condemning the attacks and warning of a direct threat to the region.

The Houthi rebels' actions have also raised concerns about maritime security and freedom of navigation. Bahrain's UN ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei, speaking on behalf of the Gulf Co-operation Council, called for the international community to take a firm position against the violations and hold the perpetrators and supporters accountable. Oil prices hit $108 a barrel on Thursday, the first time since May, as the situation continues to unfold.

Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor, The National Business — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.