Yemen's Houthis are advancing on the Red Sea coast following the capture of the strategic port of Mokha and reported deployments on nearby islands, bringing the Iran-linked militants closer to the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The offensive could strengthen the Houthis’ position around the key global trade chokepoint, allowing them to pose a growing threat to Saudi Arabia’s oil exports at a critical moment in the wider US-Iran war.

What happened: Houthi forces seized control of Mokha in southwestern Yemen on Thursday, according to four Yemeni government military sources cited by Reuters, after Saudi-aligned forces withdrew south toward Dhubab. 

The offensive began about a week earlier, when the group launched a major push against territory held by Yemen’s internationally recognized government in Taiz province. The Houthis have since advanced along the western coast, reportedly closing in on Dhubab, which sits directly on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Mokha had remained under government control since 2017 and lies roughly 40-50 miles (65-80 kilometers) north of the strait.