Houthi Rebels Seize Strategic Red Sea Port of Mocha in Yemen

Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the strategic western coastal city of Mocha on September 10, 2026, establishing a critical foothold near the Bab al-Mandeb strait to threaten international maritime traffic.

The capture follows intense multi-front fighting across Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib, and Dhalea over the past two weeks, which left at least 194 people dead and 880 others wounded.

The loss of Mocha isolates government forces in Taiz, while the Houthis continue their decade-long campaign to capture the oil-and-gas-rich Marib governorate, the internationally recognised government's last northern stronghold.