Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha

Yemen's Houthis seized control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday, with witnesses telling AFP of fighters marching on the area chanting "death to America, death to Israel". Saudi Arabia meanwhile launched dozens of airstrikes in the last 24 hours, according to the military spokesman for the Houthis, who control large parts of northwest Yemen and launched a large-scale offensive last week against Riyadh-backed Yemeni government forces. The Houthis launched attacks on Saudi territory that left dozens of people wounded, in a conflict that has reignited during the Middle East war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. A Yemeni military source told AFP on Thursday that the Iran-backed Houthis were advancing towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait "after having taken control of Mocha". The waterway, which links Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and Suez Canal, has gained importance as a transit route since the start of the wider Middle East war, which saw Iran blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The regional war has disrupted maritime traffic in the Gulf, causing oil prices to soar. On Thursday, the US oil contract WTI surpassed $100, after Brent Nor...