Yemeni pro‑government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, say they have secured the Bab al‑Mandab Strait—a vital gateway to the Red Sea— as they begin a major offensive against the Iran‑backed Houthi movement.
The Yemeni military claims that National Shield, Giants Brigades and Tihama Resistance forces captured the Red Sea city of Mokha on Monday afternoon with Saudi air support, though other reports suggest the city’s outskirts were reached instead.
Additional troops have seized the Dhubab airfield 45 km south of Mokha and are besieging Houthi units there, while Saudi-led coalition jets deliver round‑the‑clock air cover and have destroyed 324 high‑value targets since the offensive began.
In retaliation, the Houthis have struck Riyadh’s international airport and other Saudi sites, firing missiles and drones at Aramco oil facilities; the Houthi ministry has warned that the region is no longer safe for civilian air traffic.
Senior UAE and Pakistani officials have convened in Riyadh, pledging rapid deployment under the Mecca defence pact, amid rising concerns that the conflict could disrupt global shipping and oil flows.
UN Secretary‑General António Guterres has condemned the continuous cross‑border attacks and expressed deep concern at the sharp escalation of fighting in Yemen, which has already claimed 959 deaths and displaced 197,000 people since the start of the current offensive.
