Yemeni Forces Strike Near Mocha After Houthis Seize 2 Red Sea Chokepoints
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 13
Yemeni Forces Strike Near Mocha After Houthis Seize 2 Red Sea Chokepoints
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Sep 13
Summary
Government forces said they hit Houthi positions, vehicles and fighters near Mocha, including along the Mocha-Dhubab road 11km from the port, as they try to reverse the loss of Yemen’s western coast.
Mocha fell on Thursday and Mayyun Island on Friday, giving the Houthis control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait and prompting regrouping by government units that withdrew to Marib.
Saudi-backed air support has intensified alongside the ground fighting: Houthi officials said 129 air raids hit seven governorates in 48 hours, while government-linked outlets reported wider strikes on Houthi targets.
The renewed offensive is spreading across Mocha, Taiz, Marib, al-Jawf and Dhalea, with a reserve brigade claiming it downed five drones and analysts blaming anti-Houthi infighting for the rebels’ rapid gains.
More than 82,000 people have been displaced since early September, including over 2,000 who fled to Djibouti, as Iran praised the Houthi advances and the conflict again spills into southern Saudi Arabia.
Could the Houthi capture of strategic Red Sea islands force a radical shift in how global powers handle maritime security?
With Houthis seizing the Bab al-Mandeb strait, how will this sudden power shift disrupt global oil transport and international shipping?
As anti-Houthi forces fracture, what hidden divisions are secretly prolonging Yemen's deadly war while thousands flee the escalating violence?
Yemen’s September 2026 Collapse: Houthi Capture of Mocha and Mayyun Island Triggers Global Oil Shock and Humanitarian Disaster
Overview
In September 2026, the Houthi rebels launched a rapid offensive in southwest Yemen, breaking a four-year truce and capturing the strategic port city of Mocha and Mayyun Island. This success was fueled by severe political fragmentation within the Yemeni government, worsened by the UAE’s withdrawal of support for local forces. The Houthis’ control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait allowed them to declare a maritime blockade, causing global shipping traffic to plummet and forcing vessels to reroute around Africa. As a result, oil exports and production dropped sharply, energy prices soared, and humanitarian aid operations were severely disrupted, displacing tens of thousands and triggering a regional crisis.