Houthis capture key Red Sea port (Video)

Yemen’s Houthi movement says it has taken control of the strategic port city of Mocha, potentially strengthening its position around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The Iran-aligned group reportedly forced Saudi-backed government troops from Mocha following several days of intense fighting. Videos circulated by open-source intelligence accounts appeared to show Houthi fighters entering the port city, although Yemen’s internationally recognised government has not confirmed that Mocha has fallen.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti told RT that the group now controls Bab al-Mandeb and remains focused on ending Saudi involvement in Yemen.

“Of course, we now control Bab al-Mandeb, but the goal of our battle remains liberating Yemen and restoring its sovereignty and independence by ending the Saudi aggression and ending the blockade that has caused great suffering to Yemen,” Al-Bukhaiti said.

He maintained that the Houthis would protect freedom of navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb, while warning that the group was prepared to broaden its military response if other countries joined what it considers aggression against Yemen.

Reports also indicate that Houthi forces have expanded their presence on the strategically located Hanish Islands. Reuters cited an unnamed military source as saying the group captured Zuqar Island following rocket attacks and an amphibious operation. Such gains could place additional pressure on supply routes used by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.

Lt Gen Tareq Saleh, whose forces had controlled Mocha, did not directly confirm the city’s loss. However, he said on Thursday that his troops had been instructed to reorganise and establish an alternative command centre in a secure location.

The reported Houthi advance comes amid a renewed escalation in Yemen after several years of comparatively lower-intensity fighting following the UN-mediated truce of 2022.

Hostilities intensified again in July after forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government struck Sanaa airport, reportedly seeking to prevent an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. The Houthis subsequently declared the previous period of de-escalation over and announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.

Fighting has escalated further in recent days. The Houthis struck energy and other infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, including facilities associated with Saudi Aramco. The group described the attacks as retaliation for Saudi air strikes in Yemen.

The battle for Yemen’s western coastline carries international consequences because Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Around 10% of global seaborne trade is estimated to pass through the route.

Houthi convoys have reportedly entered the city of Mokha. https://t.co/nKrIOyt0Zy pic.twitter.com/wFjvGPzg3H

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 10, 2026

Its strategic importance has increased further amid disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has consequently become increasingly reliant on transporting crude through its cross-country pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, making the security of Bab al-Mandeb particularly important for Saudi oil exports.

The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to disrupt Red Sea commerce, launching repeated attacks against commercial shipping during the Gaza conflict from 2023.

Houthi forces captured the key coastal city of Mokha overnight after Saudi/UAE backed forces retreated.

Seen here, Houthi fighters pose with an abandoned M-ATV MRAP at the city’s critical seaport. pic.twitter.com/1WD6l08MVc

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 10, 2026

Despite the latest escalation, Saudi Arabia has indicated that negotiations remain possible. Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud accused the Houthis of putting their own interests ahead of Yemen’s, while maintaining that “the road to diplomacy is not closed.”