It's a major blow to the U.S. and Saudi Arabia! The Houthi forces are advancing with unstoppable momentum, capturing the strategic Red Sea port of Al-Mokha! According to foreign media reports on September 10, the Houthi fighters have taken control of Al-Mokha and swiftly swept through approximately 2,600 square kilometers of western Yemen during their coastal offensive. Foreign outlets report that government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the National Resistance units have retreated or collapsed along vast battlefronts.
Al-Mokha is located about 60–75 kilometers north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. The city had been under government and coalition control since early 2017 and served as a key hub for the Tareq Salih-led National Resistance Forces. With the Houthis now in control, they are physically closer to the strait—and to international shipping lanes they’ve already disrupted.
Evidently, the situation in Yemen has changed dramatically overnight, delivering a severe setback to both the United States and Saudi Arabia. It’s clear: Saudi Arabia has spent years establishing forward defense lines across western Yemen, relying heavily on Tareq Salih’s forces to hold Al-Mokha and contain the Houthis while protecting the Red Sea coast. Now, with this crucial western coastline pivot lost, Saudi Arabia no longer has any stable frontline strongholds in western Yemen. Years of financial and human investment have thus gone to waste, and the initiative in Yemen’s civil war has further shifted in favor of the Houthis.
As for the United States, after the Houthis seized Al-Mokha, they will be directly positioned near the northern shore of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. This gives them more opportunities to deploy drones and anti-ship missiles close to the strait, enabling them to monitor and harass passing merchant vessels at close range. In fact, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as the gateway from the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean—around 12% of global oil trade and a large volume of Eurasian container ships pass through here daily. With Al-Mokha now under Houthi control, ensuring open and secure passage through Red Sea waters will become significantly harder for the United States.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875927686976516/
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