Houthis Capture Mokha and Nearby Red Sea Island

Fighting in Yemen has intensified as government forces and their Saudi-backed allies attack Iran-backed Houthi positions along the Red Sea, while the Houthis claim drone and missile strikes into Saudi Arabia that have not been independently substantiated. The Houthis have captured the strategic port city of Mokha and a nearby island overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting Yemen’s government to promise reinforcements and regrouping. The developments threaten a vital global shipping corridor and could further pressure oil supplies. Saudi authorities issued alerts in Abha and Khamis Mushait, while civil defense reported that a projectile near the Yemeni border injured two people and damaged a mosque and other buildings. The escalation has worsened the humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations reporting more than 82,000 displaced people since the start of September and aid agencies warning that tens of thousands urgently need assistance. Mokha’s location near the Bab el-Mandeb historically made it a major center of commerce, including the coffee trade that inspired the name “mocha.”