Houthis seize Mocha port, tightening grip on Red Sea shipping chokepoint

The Houthis have seized the port of Mocha on Yemen's Red Sea coast, marking the most intense fighting in years and bringing an Iran-aligned militia closer to controlling one of the world's most critical shipping passages. The claim came as part of a coordinated offensive that saw the group capture additional territory—more than 2,320 square miles—including the inland city of Hays and the Khalid ibn al-Walid military camp, the region's largest base. In just five days, from September 3 to 7, the conflict data monitor Acled recorded 276 deaths. The fighting has continued since, with no sign of abating.

What makes this seizure strategically significant extends far beyond Yemen's borders. Control of the Red Sea coast, particularly the Bab al-Mandab strait at its southern end, would hand Iran and its proxies leverage over two of the world's most vital chokepoints for Western shipping. The other is the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, already a flashpoint in the broader US-Iran confrontation. Together, these passages control the flow of oil and goods to Europe and beyond. Saudi Arabia and the United States view the prospect of Iranian dominance over both as a strategic catastrophe.

The escalation did not arrive suddenly. It traces back to July, when a senior Houthi delegation traveled to Tehran for the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, returning on an Iranian aircraft. Saudi Arabia refused to allow the plane to land in the rebel-held capital of Sana'a and instead bombed the runway. The Houthis responded by announcing a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia—what they framed as a blockade in response to a blockade. That declaration on July 20 was followed by strikes on Saudi Arabia's Jazan refinery on July 25 and on a tanker off Yanbu on August 24. This week's assault represents the culmination of that escalating cycle.

The fighting has spread across multiple fronts. Clashes have erupted in Ad Dali, al-Bayda, Marib, Shabwah, al-Jawf, Hodeidah, and Taiz. Saudi Arabia responded with at least 40 airstrikes on Houthi targets on Thursday alone, and had launched at least 15 strikes between September 3 and 7. The kingdom's air superiority remains a significant advantage, yet government sources have acknowledged Houthi ground advances along the coast and missile strikes on the strategic Red Sea islands of Zuqar and Hanish.

Maj Gen Tareq Saleh, commander of Yemeni government forces, acknowledged a strategic retreat south of Mocha to regroup in a secure location. "The armed forces in the western coast paid a heavy price—martyrs and wounded—over the past days as they confronted the Houthi attack planned by Iran, and supported by it," he said. Analysts point to internal divisions within the Yemeni government and a lack of integrated military command as factors weakening its effectiveness. The United Arab Emirates, once a powerful player backing separatist forces in southern Yemen, withdrew its financial and military support at the turn of the year, further fragmenting the anti-Houthi coalition. The southern forces have refused to fight outside their own region.

Baraa Shiban, Yemen specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the situation was spiraling out of control. Observers have noted that a reduction in hostilities now seems unlikely. The Houthis appear to be opening a second front in what analysts describe as the broader Iran-US conflict, alongside the battle for control of the Hormuz strait. Sherwan Hindreen Ali, a Yemen analyst for Acled, said both sides continue to escalate with the goal of inflicting enough damage to force a compromise. "In terms of military capability, both sides are more equal compared to the immediate period prior to the 2022 ceasefire when the Houthis had the upper hand," he noted.

The fighting has already rippled through global markets. Oil prices have risen above $100 a barrel after weeks of trading closer to $80. The economic pressure reflects the stakes: Saudi Arabia has become increasingly reliant on the Red Sea route for trade after Iran throttled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli attacks. Muhammad Abdul Salam, head of the Houthis' national negotiating delegation, insisted that non-Saudi commercial shipping would not be attacked, though the group's intentions remain contested. The question now is whether the fighting will remain confined to Yemen's coast or whether Saudi Arabia will invoke the Mecca defence agreement and request military support from Pakistan and Turkey, its co-signatories. The pact is designed to be defensive in nature and is believed unlikely to apply to Saudi military activities in Yemen, but the escalation may test that assumption. What is clear is that the conflict shows no signs of cooling before the US midterm elections in early November.