The Houthi terrorist organization scored a troubling advance after seizing the Red Sea coastal city of Al-Mokha. The move brings the Houthis one step closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait—part of Yemen’s internal conflict—and marks a significant step by the Islamic Republic, through its proxy, toward controlling another critical maritime route, a development that could have global implications.
2+C14 correspondent Omri Haim explained the significance of the Houthis’ capture of Al-Mokha. According to Haim, the takeover is part of a broader advance unfolding along Yemen’s western coastline, culminating in the capture of the strategically located port city. More importantly, he stressed, the development must be understood within the context of Yemen’s internal war between the internationally recognized government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels—or, in broader regional terms, a struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government.
2+What does the Houthi advance mean?
Haim explained that the Houthis already possessed the ability to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait with fire, but their latest territorial gains are bringing them even closer. The terror group controls the more northerly port city of Hodeidah and has now expanded farther south, closer to the strait itself. Reports have also begun emerging that the Houthis have seized several islands in the southern Red Sea, placing them in extremely close proximity to the strategic waterway.
The advance comes as Iran faces growing pressure in the Strait of Hormuz, where, according to Haim, Tehran is losing control, suffering mounting economic pressure and recognizing the need to create an alternative source of leverage. The Iranian regime could therefore increasingly turn to its Yemeni proxy to threaten another critical maritime chokepoint as a means of exerting pressure.
2+Meanwhile, the forces fighting the Houthis have sought to downplay the significance of the setback, arguing that while they lost the battle, they have not lost the war and intend to return. Until then, however, the Houthis are continuing to deepen their control over western Yemen—a development with implications extending far beyond Yemen or even the Middle East, potentially threatening a maritime artery of global importance.