Houthis seize strategic Red Sea port in Yemen
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The gist
Yemen's Houthis seized the Red Sea port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed government forces.
The capture puts the Iran-backed group about 75km from the Bab al-Mandab trade chokepoint.
Background
Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene on behalf of the government. A truce signed in 2022 had largely frozen front lines, making the Mokha takeover the Houthis' biggest territorial gain since then. The Bab al-Mandab Strait near Mokha carries roughly 10-12% of global trade, and its importance has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz was disrupted earlier this year.
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2026Houthi fighters seize Mokha and its port in a swift ground offensive, pushing out Saudi-backed government forces, according to Yemeni and Houthi officials.
- Sep 10, 2026Houthi fighters also seize Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, about 80km north-west of Mokha, after rocket attacks and a boat-borne ground assault, a Yemeni military source says.
- Sep 10, 2026 -11, 2026Saudi Arabia launches dozens of airstrikes over 24 hours, the Houthis say, after Houthi attacks on Saudi territory wounded dozens of people.
- Sep 11, 2026Tarek Saleh, who heads the National Resistance Forces that controlled Mokha, says he moved his command centre to a safe location to regroup.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Mokha's capture gives the Houthis control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the ability to monitor international trade, which accounts for 10-12% of global trade, according to analyst Mawry.
- Expert
- Defence analyst Wolfgang Pusztai calls the seizure a very significant blow against the government, putting the Houthis in position to cut off the road to Taiz.
- Expert
- Baraa Shiban of the Royal United Services Institute says the Houthis could make Red Sea shipping more hazardous by laying mines, similar to what Iran's Revolutionary Guard did in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Party
- Tarek Saleh, head of the National Resistance Forces, says his forces paid a heavy price in recent days against a Houthi offensive he says was planned and supported by Iran.
Still unverified
The capture is reported by Houthi and Yemeni officials and witnesses; CNBC said it could not independently confirm the report. Some details, including the scale of Saudi airstrikes and the claim that the offensive was planned and supported by Iran, rest on statements from one side.