---
title: "Houthis Seize Mocha Port in Yemen: Threat to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Global Oil Trade"
description: "On September 10, Iran-linked Houthis seized the port of Mocha in Yemen, which, according to military sources, opens the way for them to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a key artery of global oil trade."
date: 2026-09-10T14:18:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/houthi-seize-mocha-port-yemen-bab-el-mandeb-threat
tags: [yemen, houthi, bab-el-mandeb, red-sea, oil-supply, saudi-arabia, iran, trump]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Houthis Seize Mocha Port in Yemen: Threat to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Global Oil Trade

![Armed Houthi fighters with rifles and movement flags in Yemen amid the capture of Mocha port and threat to the Bab el-Mandeb strait](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/10/husity-zahvat-port-mokka-ugroza-bab-el-mandebr/husity-zahvat-port-mokka-ugroza-bab-el-mandebr-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Houthis seized the port of Mocha in Yemen, gaining an additional lever of influence over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- Yemeni government forces are moving toward Dubab and Perim Island — key points for controlling the strait.
- Saudi Arabia declared a state of emergency in Khamis Mushait for the fourth time in 24 hours due to Houthi attacks.
- The seizure comes against the backdrop of Trump's statement that he expects the war against Iran to end after the midterm elections.

On September 10, 2026, Iran-linked Houthi militants reportedly seized control of the port city of Mocha (Moha) in Yemen, according to military sources. Four sources within the Yemeni government said that as a result of this move, the Houthis have gained "additional leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait" — the southern exit from the Red Sea and one of the planet's most critical shipping routes. The seizure of the port, observers assess, poses an additional threat to global energy supplies and sharply raises tensions in the region.

### The Seizure of Mocha and Access to the Strait

The port of Mocha is located on Yemen's southwestern coast, directly in the area adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. According to military sources, Yemeni government forces and their allies are in response moving south along the Red Sea coast toward the city of Dubab, which sits right on the strait, opposite the island of Perim. It is control over Dubab and this island, sources claim, that is the key to seizing the strait. In parallel, the Houthis have launched attacks on the strategically important Hanish Islands, intensifying pressure on maritime communications.

### The Strategic Significance of Bab el-Mandeb

Bab el-Mandeb, or the "Gates of Tears" — a strait so named because of the hazardous conditions for navigation — lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast. It is the "main prize" for the Houthis, who control the populated areas of Yemen and a significant part of its north. The strait carries the bulk of crude oil and fuel shipments from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean — via the Suez Canal or the Suez–Mediterranean pipeline on Egypt's Red Sea coast. The route is also used to deliver goods bound for Asia, including Russian oil.

### Saudi Arabia's Response and the Movement of Forces

Against the backdrop of the escalation, Saudi Arabia's civil defense authorities declared a state of emergency for the fourth time in 24 hours in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait due to Houthi attacks. This indicates that hostilities and missile and drone strikes are already affecting the kingdom's sovereign territory and are forcing Riyadh to introduce heightened alert regimes on its own soil.

### Context: Trump's Statement and the War Against Iran

Notably, just hours earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that he expects the war against Iran to end after the midterm elections. He had previously raised the issue of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and promised to "deal with" the Houthis if they block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. As early as July, it was reported that the Houthis were considering introducing fees for commercial vessels sailing through the southern part of the Red Sea. Thus, the seizure of Mocha comes against the backdrop of a direct clash of interests between Washington and the Iran–Houthi bloc over control of the maritime arteries.

### Contradictory Data

In describing the events of September 10, the accounts of sources differ on the nature and degree of control. Some reports (including those citing Reuters) characterize the event as a full "seizure" of the port of Mocha by the Houthis. Other sources, in particular Anadolu, emphasize that the port of el-Moha was shelled with ballistic missiles, without giving a definitive confirmation of sustained control over the city. Third-party outlets speak of "establishing control" or of "moving closer to control" over the strait, which is a more cautious formulation. Moreover, the claim that the seizure of Mocha "opens the way" to control over Bab el-Mandeb is analytical in nature rather than a confirmed fact: actual control over the strait, according to military sources, depends on the seizure of Dubab and Perim Island, which has not yet happened.

Thus, the seizure of the port of Mocha is confirmed by several independent sources and represents a significant escalation, however, the final status of control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains a matter of ongoing hostilities and conflicting assessments by the parties.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Houthis seize Mocha port in Yemen, threatening blockade of key strait - Reuters](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/husiti-zahopili-port-mokka-emeni-shcho-zagrozhue-1789049529.html) - Подтверждает захват порта Мокка хуситами и угрозу для ключевого пролива, ссылаясь на Reuters.
- [Houthis shelled el-Moha port with ballistic missiles](https://www.aa.com.tr/ru/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80/%D1%85%D1%83%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8B-%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%82-%D1%8D%D0%BB%D1%8C-%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%85%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8-%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B8/4025177) - Акцентирует обстрел порта эль-Моха баллистическими ракетами; формулировка отличается от «захвата», что отражено в блоке противоречий.
- [Houthis establish control over Moha port near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait](https://profile.ru/news/abroad/husity-ustanovili-kontrol-nad-portom-moha-u-bab-el-mandebskogo-proliva-1900121/) - Подтверждает установление хуситами контроля над портом Моха у Баб-эль-Мандебского пролива.
- [Houthis seize Moha and move closer to controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a key ...](https://echofm.online/news/husity-zahvatili-mohu-i-priblizilis-k-kontrolyu-nad-bab-el-mandebskim-prolivom-klyuchevym-marshrutom-neftyanyh-postavok) - Подтверждает захват Мохы и приближение к контролю над проливом как ключевым маршрутом нефтяных поставок.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did the Houthis seize on September 10, 2026?
**A:** According to military sources, the Houthis seized control of the port city of Mocha (Moha) in Yemen, located in the area adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

### Q: Why is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait important for the global economy?
**A:** It is one of the world's most important routes for delivering crude oil and fuel from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or the Suez–Mediterranean pipeline, as well as for goods bound for Asia, including Russian oil.

### Q: Have the Houthis fully taken control of the strait?
**A:** No. According to military sources, actual control over the strait depends on the seizure of the city of Dubab and Perim Island, where government forces are moving; the seizure of Mocha merely gives the Houthis additional leverage over the strait.

### Q: How did Saudi Arabia react?
**A:** Saudi Arabia's civil defense authorities declared a state of emergency for the fourth time in 24 hours in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait due to Houthi attacks.