Houthis escalate fighting in Yemen, aiming for Mocha Port, Bab al-Mandab Strait

The Houthis escalated fighting in Yemen in recent days as the Iran-backed terror group worked to seize territory that would give them greater control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint at the entrance to the Red Sea that is instrumental in international shipping routes, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing local security sources. Fighting has intensified around western Taiz as the Houthis attempted to reach Mocha, a port city less than 50 miles from the strait, Col. Abdul Basit al-Baher, an army officer with the Yemeni government in the region, told the NYT. The Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi oil tankers passing through the Red Sea, which is where most of Saudi Arabia's oil exports travel, in July and have since launched missile and drone attacks at passing ships and Saudi facilities from northern Yemen.