'Support never came': How Houthis caught Saudi forces off guard in 'lightning' strike
Houthi fighters successfully captured the strategic port city of Mocha and Perim Island in Yemen after government forces failed to receive promised Saudi air support. The rapid offensive has raised concerns about the stability of key shipping routes in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Why it matters
The loss of these positions threatens global maritime security and highlights the shifting power dynamics in the ongoing Yemeni conflict.
Yemen's strategically important Red Sea port of Mocha fell to Iran-backed Houthi fighters in a rapid offensive after forces defending the city appealed for Saudi air support that never arrived, according to CNN.The collapse came after a day of intense fighting, with Houthi fighters advancing in large numbers towards the port city held by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government. A senior Yemeni source involved with the defence of Mocha told CNN that the Houthis had committed “everything they had” to the assault, including waves of fighters, ballistic missiles and other weapons.The source said Yemeni commanders contacted the US Central Command (CENTCOM) as the attack intensified and were assured that Washington was monitoring the situation and that Saudi air support was on its way.“But the air support never came,” the source told CNN.
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