The Houthi militia launched a 115‑kilometre (75‑mile) offensive on September 9, exploiting a communications breach in the National Resistance, the strongest pro‑government force along the coast. By the night of September 10 the rebels had entered the abandoned port of Mokha, seized strategic islands nearby and effectively controlled the Red Sea coast that had been out of their hands since 2017.
According to officials familiar with the operation, Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers were present at all levels of the battle, directing tactical manoeuvres, analysing satellite and communications intelligence and working directly with front‑line commanders. Their involvement marks what analysts describe as Iran’s most direct intervention in Yemen since the civil war began in 2014.
The National Resistance, estimated at about 30,000 fighters, saw its internal communications compromised, forcing its leader, Lt. Gen. Tariq Saleh, to flee to Saudi Arabia. A spokesman for the group said it lost roughly 500 fighters in the fighting, though the figure could not be independently verified. The rival Giants Brigade briefly helped push back the Houthis but lacked coordination with the Resistance, underscoring the fragmented nature of pro‑government forces.
The seizure comes as the Houthis closed a key Saudi oil pipeline and positioned themselves to threaten Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea, a development that has already pushed up global fuel prices and given Tehran greater leverage in its broader rivalry with the United States and its allies.
U.S. officials have been reluctant to intervene directly, and Saudi warplanes did not strike the advancing Houthi forces, a point noted by senior Yemeni military officials. Saudi government media did not comment on the incident when approached for a statement.
In the aftermath, the Houthis captured a cache of weapons and equipment, including armoured vehicles and artillery, some of which were displayed in a televised parade. They are now fortifying the newly held territories, with Brig. Gen. Walid Ziyad warning that the loss of the west coast “marks the beginning of a fiercer battle.”