Yemen government says it retook Mokha from Houthis as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan activate defense pact
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces say they recaptured the Red Sea port of Mokha and positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Hours later, the three-nation Mecca Alliance was invoked for the first time, and two Saudi airports were hit overnight.
What we know: Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government said Monday that its forces took control of the Red Sea port city of Mokha “following fierce battles” with the Iran-backed Houthis and captured key coastal positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, CNBC reported. The government also said it had launched a “strategic offensive” toward Sanaa, the capital the Houthis have held since 2014. CNBC said it could not independently verify the claims, and the Houthis have reportedly denied that Mokha fell.
Why Mokha matters: The port sits about 46 miles north of the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis seized it in early September, raising the risk that the group could control a second major oil route while Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is already disrupting energy markets, CNBC reported. The Saudi-led coalition said 100 of its fighter jets were providing air support for the offensive, Al Jazeera reported.
Defense pact invoked: After an emergency meeting of defense and foreign ministers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan agreed Monday to activate “collective deterrence measures” and rapidly deploy “the agreed military forces and capabilities” to Saudi Arabia, according to Al Jazeera. It is the first time the Mecca Alliance for Defence has been invoked since it was signed on Aug. 7. The pact treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.
Overnight attacks: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said Tuesday that airports in Jazan and Najran were targeted Monday evening, leaving three people lightly injured and causing limited damage, CNBC and the AP reported. The Houthis separately claimed strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the Aramco refinery in Rabigh; Al Jazeera said Riyadh had not confirmed that claim.
Still unknown: Whether government forces hold Mokha, how far the push toward Sanaa has gone, and which Turkish and Pakistani forces will deploy and when. Brent crude traded around $100 a barrel early Tuesday, CNBC reported.
Sources
- CNBC — Yemen forces reclaim key Red Sea port city from Iran-backed Houthis in major counteroffensive
- Al Jazeera — Turkiye, Pakistan agree Saudi Arabia military deployment under Mecca pact
- AP News — Saudi Arabia says 2 airports were hit in renewed fighting with Houthis
- Al-Monitor — Yemen military announces retaking of Mokha from Houthis amid Red Sea offensive