Yemen's Houthis reportedly seize strategic Red Sea port of Mokha

Mokha residents said Houthi fighters moved into the city after fierce clashes with pro-government forces on Wednesday night, prompting many families to flee their homes. Another man said that Houthi fighters were patrolling the streets of Mokha on Thursday, while government offices and shops were closed. Many displaced families are heading east towards the city of Aden, where Yemen's internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council and government are based. The Houthis' Supreme Political Council asserted its "right to defend [Yemen's] sovereignty and territorial waters while simultaneously reassuring the international community that navigation in the Red Sea remains safe". The Saudi-led coalition has backed Yemen's government against the Houthis in the country's devastating civil war for more than a decade.

Source: BBC India/World September 10, 2026 18:15 UTC