Yemen’s Houthis seize port city of Mocha, closing in on strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Government forces retreat south to establish alternate command center, aiming to keep vital shipping route in their hands; women and children flee Mocha for safer provinces The post Yemen’s Houthis seize port city of Mocha, closing in on strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait appeared first on The Times of Israel .
Houthi fighters celebrate their rapid advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast, positioning themselves to control the Bab el-Mandeb choke point and bolster Iran's leverage against the US, according to experts. Corey Ranslem, CEO of maritime security group Dryad Global, stated that controlling the Bab el-Mandeb would be easier for the Houthis than for Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, as the US lacks significant military assets in the region.
After days of intense fighting in the Tihama plain, the Houthis have seized the historic Red Sea port city of Mocha and deployed troops on the Hanish Islands, situate in the middle of the Red Sea across from Eritrea. They are also advancing towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the island of Perim. The Houthis' swift progress has raised questions about the coordination of Saudi-backed forces in Yemen, as the UAE-Saudi talks about potential military escalation remain at an impasse.
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