Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize strategic Red Sea port in Yemen
Houthi rebels have seized the strategic port city of Mokha in Yemen, increasing their influence over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This development threatens global shipping routes and adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran and the U.S.
Why it matters
Control of this port significantly impacts global energy supplies and shipping logistics, potentially escalating tensions in the Red Sea region.
ADEN, Yemen — The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Thursday took over Yemen's port city of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said.
The takeover gives Iran another potential point of leverage in its war with the U.S., analysts said, if the Houthis use their presence in Mokha to ramp up threats or attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Mokha is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and through which about 12% of the world's goods are typically shipped.
The Bab el-Mandeb's importance to global oil supplies has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been impeded by Iran during its war with the United States and Israel.
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