Bab al-Mandab: Yemeni forces retake key coastal areas and Mocha from Houthis

Yemeni government forces have recaptured the Red Sea port city of Mocha and several coastal positions overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, rolling back rapid territorial gains made by Houthi rebels.

Ground units from the Homeland Shield Forces and the Giants Brigades pushed into the strategic town of Dhubab, just north of the strait, as well as the neighbouring settlements of Bab and Hadeid on Monday. The state-run Saba news agency reported that troops cut rebel supply lines leading towards the water before securing Mocha, located roughly 110 miles south of Hodeidah.

The ground operation followed an extensive aerial campaign launched early on Monday by a Saudi-led coalition. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets supported the assault, carrying out strikes on hundreds of rebel positions to establish "air protection" over the strait.

Why the battle for the strait matters

The push comes a day after Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced a wide campaign to retake all areas under rebel control. Government forces also said they opened a separate offensive heading towards the capital, Sanaa, which has been held by the Houthis since 2014.

Control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait is critical for international trade and energy flows, functioning as the southern gateway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis seized Mocha and coastal territory flanking the waterway in September after a 2022 truce collapsed earlier in the summer.

That advance threatened oil tankers and commercial vessels using the Red Sea, particularly with crude flows already severely restricted in the Persian Gulf amid regional conflict. Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on western pipeline networks to move oil past the eastern waters, making the Yemeni coast a vital artery.

Clashes spread inland

While government forces took back coastal ground, heavy fighting continued inland across Taiz province. Four security sources said Houthi fighters managed to cut the main highway linking the besieged provincial capital of Taiz to the government's interim headquarters in Aden after seizing the al-Safiya district.

Local military sources on both sides reported that more than 70 people were killed in Taiz over the weekend, including 34 government soldiers and 39 Houthi fighters. Rebel units had also taken the town of Turbah south-west of Taiz.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group responded to dozens of coalition air raids by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco installations in Riyadh and Khurais, though the coalition dismissed the claims.

Diplomatic and military backing

In Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was expected that Yemeni authorities would strike back to recover lost ground, affirming that Saudi Arabia had a right to defend itself against cross-border fire. Regional and US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington assisted the coalition with planning, target selection and intelligence sharing.

At the same time, senior defence and diplomatic officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met in Riyadh under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August. A joint statement released after the emergency talks confirmed the three countries had agreed to implement collective defence commitments, including the rapid deployment of military assets to assist the kingdom.