Houthis Gaining Control of Yemen’s Mocha
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels are rapidly advancing along the Red Sea coast threatening to gain more leverage over the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Ajazeera • September 11, 2026
Yemen’s Iran-backed Ansar Allah (supporters of God) Houthis seizing the strategic port city of Mocha is a crucial development in the conflict as it cuts off a significant number of Yemeni troops from the region, an analyst says.
The impact is also significant as it makes it more difficult for government forces to receive weaponry through its port, defence analyst Wolfgang Pusztai told Al Jazeera.
“This is a turning point right now in the war. This might lead to a breakdown of the government forces in the southern part of Yemen,” he said.
Pro-government fighters are not fully united and that may have played a role in the Houthi advance.
“There are factions who are more on the side of Saudi Arabia and others who are more on the side of the United Arab Emirates, and the port of Mocha was the last harbour fully under control of the internationally recognised government,” said Pusztai.
Houthis reportedly seize Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea
Witnesses told the AFP news agency they saw Houthi forces entering the strategically important port city of Mocha on Thursday while chanting “death to America, death to Israel”.
An unnamed military source said the Houthis seized Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea “after rocket attacks and a ground assault carried out using boats transporting fighters”.
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