Houthis reach Yemen's Mocha port near Bab al-Mandab: Report

Houthi forces have reached the strategic Mocha port near the Bab al-Mandab Strait after seizing control of Hays and Al-Khawkhah districts in southern Al-Hudaydah province, Yemeni media reported Thursday, as government troops withdrew toward Lahej province amid the country's most significant military escalation since a UN-sponsored truce collapsed.

Houthi Advances on Western Coast

The privately owned Al-Masdar Online website said that Houthi fighters had taken control of Hays and Al-Khawkhah districts as well as large areas of western Taiz province, forcing government forces to pull back southward. Activists on social media circulated images purporting to show Houthi fighters following the capture of the two districts, though there was no immediate comment from government forces on the reports.

Strategic Significance

Hays serves as a critical junction linking southern Al-Hudaydah with supply routes toward Mocha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a vital maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. According to an Anadolu correspondent, the Houthis appear to be pressuring supply lines linking Taiz and Al-Hudaydah provinces in an effort to isolate the coastal port and consolidate control over Yemen's western seaboard.

Context of Broader Conflict

The National Resistance Forces announced Thursday the formation of a new command center south of Mocha and stated that military units on the Hays front were being reorganized. If confirmed, the capture of Hays and Al-Khawkhah would grant the Houthis full control over Al-Hudaydah province, marking a significant territorial gain in a conflict that has engulfed Yemen since the group seized Sanaa in September 2014 and prompted Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015.