Yemen's Houthi organization captures the famous coffee city 'Mocha' in the Red Sea.

Yemen's Houthi armed organization captured the strategically important port city of Mokha on the Red Sea on September 10, 2026, defeating Saudi-backed government forces. With this largest territorial gain in years by the Iran-backed Ansar Allah organization, they have been able to come within approximately 75 kilometers of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is crucial for world trade.

Following fierce clashes that began on September 3 and intensified on September 9 and 10, Tariq Saleh's National Resistance Forces and their allies retreated to the Dhubab area in the south. Mokha city had been a major military base on the western coast since its recapture by government forces in 2017, and these sudden attacks have created a climate of intense fear in the city, with many families abandoning their homes and fleeing towards Aden.

Commenting on this retreat, Tariq Saleh stated that his forces suffered significant damage in these attacks, which were carried out with Iran's full planning and support, and that he moved his command center to another location to reorganize the troops. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, called for Arab and international support to protect the coastlines, while the Houthi side declared that the clashes ended after the withdrawal of Saudi forces from the western coast.

Although the port of Mokha in Taiz province is not large, its capture cripples the supply lines of government forces and poses a threat to the main road leading to Taiz. Especially with traffic in the Strait of Hormuz disrupted due to the 2026 Iran war, and Saudi Arabia increasingly using the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea for its oil exports, this threat to the Bab al-Mandab Strait has caused the price of Brent crude oil to exceed the $100-105 per barrel mark in the world market.

The port of Mokha, historically a world-renowned coffee trading center, is the historical place that gave the world the name "Mocha". This city, first captured by the Houthis in late 2014, was liberated by the Saudi-led coalition in 2017, and its operations had to be temporarily suspended in August 2026 due to missile and drone attacks.

This military operation was not limited to Mokha city but extended to Hays, Al-Kawkha, Al-Wazi'iyah, Mawza, and the Khalid ibn al-Walid military base. In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib, and Jawf, while the Houthis carried out missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabian cities and oil facilities.

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has warned the Security Council that the Yemeni war has entered a more dangerous phase. More than 11,400 families have been displaced since September 3, and 276 people have reportedly died within five days. In response to this threat to global maritime traffic and regional security, Britain and Bahrain have also called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.