New Delhi: Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized Yemen’s strategic port city of Mokha, bringing them closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and raising fresh concerns over the security of shipping through the Red Sea. The takeover, confirmed by Houthi and Yemeni officials, represents the group’s biggest territorial gain since the 2022 truce that brought relative calm to Yemen.
Mokha lies around 80 kilometres from the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The waterway is a key route for global trade and energy shipments, making any Houthi expansion along Yemen’s western coast strategically significant.
Why Mokha matters
The Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world’s major maritime chokepoints, linking shipping routes between the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Europe. According to the Associated Press , around 12 per cent of the world’s oil and other goods normally move through the waterway.
The importance of the route has increased further because shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted during the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel. Any renewed escalation around Bab el-Mandeb could therefore add another layer of pressure to already disrupted global shipping and energy markets.
Houthis gain a strategic position
The capture of Mokha gives the Houthis a stronger position along Yemen’s western coastline and potentially greater leverage over ships using the Red Sea. Analysts warned that the group could use its expanded presence to increase threats against maritime traffic, including through attacks or the possible use of mines.
The advance is not limited to Mokha, with Houthi forces also making gains in parts of Taiz province, according to Yemeni military and Saudi-backed forces cited by AP. The terrain around Taiz is strategically important because it provides positions overlooking parts of Yemen’s western coast.
The latest development comes after Houthi attacks on commercial vessels severely disrupted traffic through the Red Sea from late 2023. According to reports shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb has fallen by around 60 per cent since the attacks began, as companies shifted vessels to longer routes around Africa.
A renewed Houthi campaign could make the Red Sea route even less attractive to international shipping companies. Longer journeys around the Cape of Good Hope increase fuel consumption, transit times and insurance costs, potentially adding to pressure on global supply chains.
What does it mean for Iran?
The Mokha takeover could also strengthen Iran’s regional position at a time when Tehran is facing pressure over the wider conflict with Washington. It is widely believed that the Houthi advance could give Iran another means of putting pressure on US allies and influencing negotiations with Washington.
The advance also raises concerns about Yemen’s already fragile security situation. The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2014, while Saudi Arabia joined the conflict a year later to support the government.
The 2022 UN-brokered truce reduced major fighting but did not lead to a permanent peace deal. UN special envoy Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council on Thursday that the latest escalation could push Yemen into a new and more dangerous phase, with effects that could spread beyond the country.
The fighting has already affected people in Mokha, with residents telling reporters that roads were closed and markets shut after Houthi forces entered the city. Three doctors also told the agency that they left a hospital after it was taken over by the rebels.
Residents were also reported to be moving south towards Aden, which is held by forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The displacement has raised fears that the Houthi offensive could lead to wider fighting across western and southern Yemen.
Why it matters for global energy
The main concern for global markets is that both the Red Sea and Gulf shipping routes could face greater disruption. With the Strait of Hormuz already affected by the wider conflict, continued Houthi threats around the Bab el-Mandeb could make it harder to move oil and other goods through the region. The capture of Mokha does not mean the Houthis control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. However, their growing presence near the waterway could give them a stronger position to threaten shipping and put pressure on Saudi Arabia, the US and other countries in the region