Yemen says it is renewed mocha as the battle of Bab El-Mandeb Looms

(Bloomberg) — Yemeni armed forces took control of the Red Sea city of Mocha on Monday after fighting Iran-backed Houthis, according to Sabah state, bringing the internationally recognized government closer to taking over the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Yemeni forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, recaptured the port city from the Houthi group a day after announcing a major military campaign to recapture all territory held by the militias.

The Houthis have controlled Mocha since early September, when they launched a military campaign against Saudi Arabia in recent months to end a 2022 ceasefire. The town is about 180 kilometers (112 miles) south of Hodeidah, another stronghold of the militant group.

The seizure of Mocha helped the Houthis tighten their control over Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow junction between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that Saudi Arabia used to export oil and bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a battleground in the US-Iran war.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed on Monday to immediately “implement collective defense commitments” during an emergency meeting of their defense alliance in Riyadh. The three countries, which signed a defense pact in August, will provide “military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom,” according to a joint statement.

The meeting reaffirmed “solidarity in confronting heinous attacks against the Kingdom and holy sites,” Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said in a post on X. The Houthis recently attacked Saudi Arabia’s Medina, one of Islam’s holiest cities, the Saudi-led coalition said in early October.

The coalition said it was providing air support to Yemeni ground forces during the ongoing operation, with 100 warplanes taking part in the military campaign early Monday. Its air force is also protecting Bab el-Mandeb, the coalition said.

The Houthi escalation against Saudi Arabia in recent months has resulted in damage to energy infrastructure and tankers. The group said it has stepped up attacks because its cities and ports are under “siege” from the Saudi government.

Yemeni government forces also launched an offensive on Monday in Sanaa, its military spokesman said. In recent days, Yemeni forces have repeatedly struck the capital, which the Houthis have controlled since 2014.

Saudi Arabia “reiterates its full political and military support to the Presidential Leadership Council,” headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, “to end the coup and retake the state and its institutions from the hands of the Houthi militia,” the kingdom’s foreign ministry said.

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