Houthis Seize Mokha

The New York Times reports Houthis Seize Strategic Red Sea Port, a Major Victory for Iranian Ally

The Iran-backed militia routed Yemeni government forces in Mokha, putting the group in a stronger position to attack ships in a crucial waterway for global trade.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia captured a strategic Red Sea port city on Thursday, according to two Yemeni officials, in a sweeping ground offensive that could give the group greater control over an important shipping route and further destabilize energy markets.

The Houthis pushed out forces allied with the Yemeni government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, to seize the city of Mokha as well as its port, according to a local official in the city and a senior provincial official. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Mokha has been the focus of several days of fierce ground battles between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government.

For Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies, the capture of Mokha is a major setback, raising questions about their ability to constrain the Houthis.

"It will put the U.S. and the Saudis and their allies in a much tighter situation than they already are," said Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemen specialist at Chatham House, a research institution in London.

For the Houthis, who are increasingly demanding to be treated as the country's legitimate government — and be granted the power and resources that would come with that — taking Mokha is a significant victory. It also puts an ally of Iran one step closer to controlling a key maritime choke point.

The Houthis have previously attacked ships in the Red Sea from Yemeni territory further north, but control of Mokha gives the militia a foothold closer to the strait, with implications for global trade and oil markets, analysts say. After the Houthis seized the city on Thursday, the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose to more than $105 a barrel, its highest level in months.

"This is potentially one of the more significant turning points, particularly in recent years, of the Yemen conflict," said Adam Baron, a Yemen-focused fellow at New America, a research organization in Washington.