Yemeni government says it has retaken Mocha and gained effective control of Bab el-Mandeb
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government says its forces have retaken Mocha from the Houthis and now exercise effective control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after a rapid coastal advance.
Euro Times – Yemen’s Defence Ministry says Saudi-backed government forces have retaken the city of Mocha from the Houthis in a major battlefield development on the Red Sea coast, while Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said government forces now have “effective control” of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Reuters cited four government sources as saying forces advanced along the coast toward Mocha while Houthi fighters began retreating toward the highlands, with operations continuing on several fronts.
Why Mocha and Bab el-Mandeb matter
Mocha occupies a strategic position on the Red Sea close to Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, linking the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with the Suez Canal route.
If government forces consolidate their positions, the advance would represent a significant shift in the balance around the strait after weeks of fighting and earlier Houthi gains near the shipping lane.
Al-Eryani said the latest advances had given government forces effective control of Bab el-Mandeb. The claim comes from the Yemeni government while fighting continues, and the full extent of territorial control has not been independently established.
From Dhubab to Mocha
The advance follows government gains at key positions in Dhubab district overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, supported by Saudi air power, which opened the way for a broader push along the western coast.
The battle has consequences far beyond Yemen because control of territory around Bab el-Mandeb directly affects commercial shipping and energy flows between the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and Europe.
