Houthis seize key Yemeni port city as Iran pushes for new foothold on Red Sea coast

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, shouts slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026.Mohammed Huwais | Afp | Getty ImagesThe Iran-backed Houthi militant group has seized control of Yemen's port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast, bringing Tehran closer to securing another point of leverage in its six-month-long conflict with the U.S.The Houthis' capture of Mokha is regarded as a severe setback to Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni forces it backs. It could also increase Iranian pressure around two critically important oil choke points on either side of the Arabian Peninsula: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.The Houthis seized control of the city on Yemen's Red Sea coast on Thursday, according to The Associated Press, citing Yemeni and Houthi officials. CNBC could not independently confirm the report.Mokha, a strategic city on Yemen's Red Sea coast that gave its name to Mocha coffee, is situated about 75 kilometers (46 miles) north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and to global markets.The strategic importance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has grown significantly since the start ...