Houthis Capture Red Sea Port

Yemen's Houthi militia has a new military success that could rattle oil markets and regional powers alike. The Iran-aligned group took the Red Sea city of Mokha and its port after days of fighting, Yemeni officials said, ousting Saudi-backed government forces in what analysts call one of the conflict's most consequential shifts in years. The area is vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, the AP points out. Video verified by the New York Times shows armed Houthi fighters rolling through Mokha as a voice chants "Death to America, death to Israel," a core Houthi slogan.

The takeover could give Iran new leverage in its war with the US, analysts said, if the Houthis use their presence in Mokha to ramp up threats or attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Mokha sits less than 50 miles from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a chokepoint for global shipping that has grown more critical as Saudi Arabia routes more oil through the Red Sea, per the Times. Control of Mokha moves the Houthis—and by extension, Iran—closer to having a say over both Bab al-Mandab and, via allies, the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude climbed above $105 a barrel after the city fell. Houthi officials insisted maritime traffic is safe and said they want to be part of a regional security framework, while Saudi-backed forces have pulled back to regroup and are expected to try to retake the city with air support.