Another Oil Choke Point? Houthi Seizure of Yemen’s Mocha Port Raises Red Sea Supply Risks

Iran-backed Houthi forces have seized Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mocha, expanding their presence along a key maritime corridor and raising concerns over shipping and energy supplies. Mocha lies about 80 km from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Why Is Mocha Strategically Important?

Mocha is on Yemen's western Red Sea coast. It is around 80 km from Bab el-Mandeb. Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. It is an important route for ships travelling between Asia and Europe, particularly through the Suez Canal.

Oil and petroleum products also move through this wider corridor. The US EIA estimated about 4.2 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products transited Bab el-Mandeb in the first half of 2025.

Mocha's strategic importance comes from its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important chokepoint for global energy and commercial shipping.

How Could The Houthi Advance Affect Oil And Shipping?

The Houthis' control of Mocha gives them greater leverage over the approach to Bab el-Mandeb, although control of Mocha does not mean they control the strait itself. Yemeni government sources said the Houthis have also moved towards the Hanish Islands, while Dhubab and Perim are even more directly important for control of the strait.

The Houthi advance creates the possibility of pressure on another critical route after disruption around Strait of Hormuz. Reuters reported that four Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had captured Mocha, while other reporting noted that the situation could not immediately be independently verified.

Ahmed Nagi, Yemen analyst at International Crisis Group, told Reuters, "If we look at their offensive on the west coast, it's not something prepared just last week or last month."

"The evolution of the Houthis was basically because of the new weapons they gained, either through the Iranians directly or through the different smuggling networks that they are counting on," Nagi added.

"Maybe we can see some advances from the government if they get the necessary support from the Saudis. ​But that could be a bit difficult this time," he told Reuters.

Perim Island, a small Yemeni outpost in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, emerged as a new front in the widening Iran war as Houthi forces advance towards the nearby port of Mocha, raising the prospect of further disruption to shipping through a vital Red Sea gateway.

The barren island, also known as Mayyun, sits at the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandab, where the Horn of Africa is only about 12 miles from the Arabian Peninsula. Its location has made it important to empires and regional powers for centuries, but its significance has grown as the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been shut by US President Donald Trump's war with Iran.