Iran-backed Houthi rebels have achieved a major victory against government forces in Yemen by capturing Mocha, a strategically important port city on the Red Sea.
By seizing Mocha, the Iran-backed Houthi group has moved closer to controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This vital waterway lies approximately 75 kilometers south of Mocha; it connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is considered one of the most important routes for global trade.
Heavy casualties have been reported during the Houthis’ military offensive along Yemen’s southwestern coast over the past week.
According to international organizations, at least 194 people have been killed and 880 injured in clashes across Taiz, the west coast, Al-Jawf, Marib, and Dhale’e over the last two weeks. These events have raised fears that the country’s long-standing civil war could intensify once again.
Meanwhile, the Houthis have reported facing more than 40 new attacks originating from Saudi Arabia. Regarding whether the coalition would take action in response to attacks on Saudi Arabia—given the existing Makkah agreement—Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that discussions on the matter have not yet begun.
Yazid Al-Jeddawi, Research Manager at the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, noted that the mountainous areas of Taiz and the west coast are key targets for the Houthis. Beyond capturing strategic high ground, they aim to sever the road connecting Mocha and Taiz and prevent government forces on the west coast from linking up with the Taiz military zone.
Fuad Mused, a Yemeni political analyst and writer, told Al Jazeera that the strategic importance of the battlefields on the west coast and in Taiz stems from their proximity to Bab al-Mandab. Bab al-Mandab is a crucial, narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is regarded as one of the world’s most vital commercial shipping lanes.
Mused added that the Houthis seek to move closer to this critical waterway to pose a threat to maritime traffic. The aim of such moves is to maintain Iran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and to use them as leverage against regional and international powers.
Meanwhile, fighting has spread to the Marib and Al-Jawf fronts. Oil-rich Marib, located in the north, serves as a key stronghold for the government; a Houthi advance there could weaken the government’s position in the northern region. Similarly, clashes continue in Al-Jawf, which borders Saudi Arabia. Recent fighting has also intensified on the Dhalea front; as this area serves as a strategic gateway between Houthi-controlled northern territories and the south, control over it could significantly impact the course of the war.
