Yemen Houthis Seize Mocha, Expand Around Bab el-Mandeb As Saudi Arabia Seeks Regional Support

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has renewed its appeal for international help against the Iran-backed Houthis after the group seized the Red Sea port of Mocha and expanded its presence around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthi advance has shifted the balance of power along Yemen’s western coast and raised concerns over a key waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. About 12 per cent of global trade normally passes through the route, according to AP.

The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen since 2014. Their latest offensive has pushed them further down the Red Sea coast, while Saudi-backed government forces are fighting them in Taiz and Lahij.

Houthis expand along Red Sea coast

The Houthis captured Mocha earlier this month after advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and forcing government-aligned forces to withdraw, AP reported. Mocha lies on the Red Sea coast north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and close to routes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The group subsequently reached Perim, also known as Mayyun Island, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Four Yemeni government sources told Reuters that Houthi fighters had reached the island after government forces withdrew. Al Jazeera later reported that Houthi forces had expanded their presence around the strait as the group consolidated its position along Yemen’s western coast.

The gains have put Houthi forces near one of the world’s main maritime chokepoints. Bab el-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and a key route towards the Suez Canal for ships travelling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Reuters reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps provided direct guidance during the operation to capture Mocha, citing Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources. The sources said Iranian arms and advice helped the offensive.

The Yemeni government has been using the UN General Assembly to rally international support as it seeks to reverse the Houthi gains, Al Jazeera reported. Vice President Abdullah Abdulkader Al Alimi-Bawzer told the UN General Assembly that the Houthis were using freedom of navigation as leverage. He warned that their actions were affecting the wider global economy.

Fighting intensifies around Taiz

Fighting has also intensified in Taiz and Lahij provinces. Government forces said on Thursday that they had repelled coordinated Houthi attacks in Taiz. Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, spokesman for the Saudi-backed forces, said the attacks sought to reach positions along a road linking Aden, Lahij and Taiz. There was no immediate Houthi response to the claim, Al Jazeera reported.

The fighting has also centred on the Kahboub Mountains, which overlook Bab el-Mandeb and Mayyun Island. Reuters reported that Houthi fighters had advanced into the highlands to secure positions that could cut off Saudi-backed forces from the Red Sea coast.

Government-aligned forces said this week that they had taken Mount Qarfan, a position overlooking valleys linking southern Taiz with the western coast. Al Jazeera reported the claim as fighting continued around the highlands.

The renewed fighting has also displaced more than 230,000 people since the beginning of September, according to UNHCR, Al Jazeera reported on Friday.

The humanitarian toll has also grown. The World Health Organization said 674 people had been killed and almost 3,000 injured since August 6, according to Al Jazeera. Separately, the UN human rights office documented 32 civilian deaths, including 15 children and three women.

The escalation follows years of reduced large-scale fighting after the 2022 UN-mediated truce.

Saudi Arabia seeks regional support

The fighting has also brought renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that its air defences intercepted six ballistic missiles launched towards Taif and the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The Houthis separately claimed attacks on Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Al Jazeera reported the claims but said they had not been independently verified.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan announced plans for an urgent meeting of their military chiefs under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The three countries signed the agreement on August 7. It says an attack on one would be considered an attack on all three, Al Jazeera reported.

France has offered defensive support to Saudi Arabia, while Britain has agreed to provide limited aerial-refuelling support, according to Al Jazeera.

The regional response comes as Yemen’s government seeks more international support against the Houthi advance and Saudi Arabia faces attacks from Houthi-held territory.

US stops short of military commitment

The Yemeni government has also sought direct US military assistance, but Washington has not committed to providing it.

Reuters reported that US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday about the Houthi gains near Bab el-Mandeb. Yemeni and Western sources told Reuters that al-Alimi sought US military support, but Trump did not pledge direct assistance.

The US has maintained contacts with the Houthis through Oman. AP reported that al-Bukhaiti said the group had assured Washington that American vessels would not be targeted, while its campaign against Saudi-linked interests continued.

Fighting is continuing around Taiz and Lahij as government-aligned forces seek to hold their positions. The latest Saudi-Turkiye-Pakistan talks, meanwhile, come as regional governments respond to the Houthi advance around Bab el-Mandeb.