Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize Red Sea port city

The terror group took control of a key port city on Yemen’s southwestern Red Sea coast on Thursday, as the nation’s government fought to protect an important regional shipping strait. Houthi rebels clashed with Yemeni forces throughout the week, as the rebels continued to advance on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Iran-backed rebels on Thursday took control of the port of Mokha, about 50 miles from the strait. Bab al-Mandab serves as an alternative route for shipping Saudi Arabia’s oil amid the ongoing unrest in the Strait of Hormuz.

How is the Yemeni government responding? Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi reaffirmed the Yemen military’s commitment to defending the Bab al-Mandab region during a Thursday meeting with Patrick Simonnet, head of the European Union Mission. Al-Alimi blamed Iran for the Houthis’ recent escalation, accusing the Islamic regime of trying to break international supply chains and threatening the global economy. Bab al-Mandab must not become another Hormuz Strait, a blackmail tool for Iran, al-Alimi said. The president also underscored the renewed importance of a Yemeni-EU partnership as a means of securing international trade and regional safety.