The Guardian: Ansarullah Capture of Mokha Raises Strategic Stakes in Red Sea

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Ansarullah’s reported capture of the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha marks a major setback for the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and could create a wider strategic dilemma for Saudi Arabia and the United States, The Guardian reported Thursday.

The advance is part of a broader push by Ansarullah to expand its control along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. According to The Guardian, consolidating control over the coast could bring Iran and its allies closer to influence over two critical maritime chokepoints, the Bab al-Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.

The Guardian described such a development as a “strategic disaster” for Saudi Arabia and the US, particularly as Washington and Tehran remain locked in a wider confrontation over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The expansion of fighting in Yemen could effectively open a second front, allowing Ansarullah to increase pressure on both Riyadh and Washington.

Saudi Arabia has responded with an intensive air campaign, reportedly carrying out as many as 40 attacks against Ansarullah targets on Thursday. However, the strikes have not prevented the group from continuing its advances along the coast.

Saudi-backed forces have suffered significant setbacks, with Yemeni government commander Major General Tareq Saleh acknowledging a strategic withdrawal south of Mokha to regroup.

Ansar Allah has also claimed control of Hays and the Khalid ibn al-Walid military camp, while an estimate linked to the group said its forces had captured more than 6,000 square kilometers of territory.

The advance has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia, which has become more reliant on the Red Sea as a trade and energy route after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted during the US war on Iran.

Riyadh now faces a difficult choice between escalating militarily to halt Ansarullah’s advance or risking greater control of the Red Sea coastline by the group.

For Washington, the stakes extend beyond Yemen. The Guardian reported that Ansarullah’s push south of Hodeidah is intended to pressure Saudi Arabia and the US to lift the US blockade on Iranian oil tankers in the Gulf, potentially linking the conflicts around Hormuz and the Red Sea.

The escalation has already affected global energy markets, with oil prices rising above $100 a barrel.

Control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast could ultimately give Ansarullah greater ability to threaten maritime traffic approaching the Bab al-Mandeb, while Iran continues to challenge US efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.