Houthi militia advances in Mocha: escalation at Bab al-Mandab

The bottleneck at the southern end of the Red Sea, which is important for world trade, is located about 70 kilometers south of Mocha. Eyewitnesses told AFP that they saw Huhtis marching into Mocha shouting “Death to America, death to Israel!”

Videos on social networks are also said to show the militia within Mocha. The recordings could not initially be independently verified. Many residents are said to have left the city for fear of further escalation.

The Reuters news agency also reports, citing Yemeni government sources, that the Houthis also attacked the Hanish Islands off the Yemeni coast, while government troops and their allies retreated south to the city of Dhubab. Their control, together with the nearby island of Perim, is considered the key to dominance over the Bab al-Mandab.

The shipping route, also known as the “Gate of Tears” because of the dangerous navigation conditions, has become even more important in the wake of the Iran War. It is one of the world's most important routes for the transport of crude oil and fuels from the Gulf region via the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean and, in the opposite direction, for trade goods destined for Asia, including Russian oil.

The Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea several times in the past and have also imposed a blockade on Saudi ships in the recent escalation.

In Yemen, the Iranian-backed Houthis are fighting against the government now based in the city of Aden, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. There has been an unofficial ceasefire since 2022. Recently, however, fighting flared up again, with Houthis and Saudi Arabia attacking each other with air strikes.

The Houthis targeted Saudi Arabian energy facilities on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia also carried out dozens of attacks; according to the Houthi, there were “around 40 attacks” in the provinces of Taizz, Hodeida, Al-Jaw and Marib on Thursday alone. The information cannot be independently verified. More than 500 people have been killed in the fighting so far.