Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes in Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, according to Houthi-controlled media, shortly after Iran-backed Houthi forces seized the city in a major escalation of the country’s long-running conflict.
The reported strikes come as the Houthis expand their control along Yemen’s western coastline, bringing the group closer to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The waterway is critical to global shipping and the movement of oil and other commodities between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthi-run broadcaster reported that Saudi aircraft targeted Mokha airport after the rebel group took control of the port city. No casualties were immediately reported from the airport strikes, and the claims could not be independently verified.
The Saudi response follows a rapid Houthi offensive that has significantly altered the balance of power along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The group’s capture of Mokha represents a major setback for Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and raises concerns about the security of international shipping through the region.
The latest escalation threatens to undermine the fragile calm that had largely halted large-scale fighting in Yemen after a 2022 truce. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks, with the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces exchanging attacks across several provinces.
The strategic importance of Mokha extends beyond Yemen’s borders. Its location near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait gives whoever controls the area potential leverage over one of the key routes linking Europe and Asia. Any sustained disruption could affect global shipping and energy markets.
The escalation is also unfolding amid wider tensions involving Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to consider direct military action against the Houthis, although Washington has so far declined to launch direct strikes.
The renewed fighting could further worsen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis while increasing the risks facing commercial vessels operating through the Red Sea.
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