How Iranian arms helped Houthis seize key Red Sea port in 'lightning' blitz

The Houthi takeover of Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Mocha was backed by a rapid offensive involving Iranian-supplied weapons, drones and direct guidance from commanders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to Reuters. The attack came as Tehran seeks to open another pressure point against the United States and its ally Saudi Arabia.The lightning advance down Yemen’s western coast has given the Iran-backed group greater control over a strategically important stretch of the Red Sea, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for global shipping, making the Houthi gains potentially significant for energy supplies and maritime trade.Reuters, citing Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources, reported that Iran instructed the Houthis last week to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia and promised additional funding, weapons and senior officers to support the campaign.