Houthis Seize Mocha in Yemen, Raising Concerns Over Crude Oil Transport Disruptions
Tensions Mount Along Key Red Sea Shipping Route
Growing Fears Over Rising Global Oil Prices
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized control of the strategic port city of Mocha along the Red Sea, securing a foothold that could threaten the key maritime chokepoint of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. As the significance of the Red Sea route grows following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, concerns over disruptions to global crude oil shipments have intensified with the Houthis now advancing toward Bab-el-Mandeb.
According to AFP and other outlets on September 10 (local time), the Houthis captured Mocha after fierce battles with Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
Three Yemeni government sources told Reuters that the Houthis had taken over Mocha and were pushing south toward Bab-el-Mandeb. A military source from Yemen also told AFP, "The Houthis have seized control of Mocha and are now advancing toward the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait."
Mocha is a port city located approximately 70 to 80 kilometers north of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. With the Houthis in control of the city, the group is now seen to have secured a strategic base for access to the strait.
Heading south from Mocha along the coastline leads to Dubab, which borders the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Sheikh Sa'id cape at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Control of this region would allow the Houthis to directly monitor ships passing through the strait and deploy offensive assets such as anti-ship missiles, suicide drones, and fast attack boats.
Even if the Houthis do not capture Mayyun Island, which sits at the center of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, there are concerns they could still threaten passage by using Mocha as a base to attack merchant vessels and warships.
However, Mayyun Island, which splits the strait into two channels, is currently controlled by anti-Houthi factions, including southern Yemeni separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These forces have established an airstrip and military base on the island. Therefore, the Houthis' seizure of Mocha does not immediately mean full control over the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal route linking Asia and Europe. Its importance as an alternative route for energy resources, including Saudi Arabian crude oil, has risen dramatically as Iran—after coming under attack from the United States and Israel—has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz.
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With the Houthis expanding their influence closer to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait under these circumstances, concerns are mounting that both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea shipping routes could be threatened simultaneously. In particular, if the Houthis secure additional strongholds near the strait or escalate their attacks on ships, it could cause significant disruptions to the transport of Middle Eastern crude oil and trade between Asia and Europe.
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