Houthis Seize Mocha, Reignite Yemen War — SkimNews
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- Houthis seized Yemen's Red Sea port city of Mocha and several islands from Yemeni government forces, gaining a foothold near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key trade gateway linking Asia and Europe.
- Saudi Arabia's dependence on Bab al-Mandeb has intensified after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the February 2026 US-Israel-Iran war; the Bab al-Mandeb was carrying roughly 7% of global oil supplies by June.
- Saudi Arabia struck Sana'a International Airport on July 13, 2026 to prevent a plane carrying the Houthi delegation to the funeral of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei from landing.
- Houthis retaliated by launching missile attacks on airports in southern Saudi Arabia and declaring a strict maritime embargo against Saudi vessels, with Houthi official Yahya Saree announcing the end of the "de-escalation phase."
- Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly requested US airstrikes against the Houthis, but the invitation was apparently declined.
- The April 2022 ceasefire has collapsed, ending a period of low-intensity fighting that briefly followed China's March 2023 brokering of an Iran-Saudi rapprochement.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia faces a compounding maritime vulnerability — it cannot reliably export through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Houthis' new coastal position now puts Bab al-Mandeb, which carries 7% of global oil supplies, at risk too. With MBS's request for US airstrikes already declined, Riyadh has fewer easy options to dislodge the Houthis from their expanded territory, and Iran's allies now potentially control two of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.
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