Story perspectives

Houthi Rebels Seize Mokha and Bab al-Mandab Strait

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 2:47 PM UTC · How we work

Center

IRGC Somalia smuggling

Houthi rebels captured Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing Mokha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait from pro-government forces in early September 2026.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers directed tactics while Iranian sources placed radars and coordinated weapon shipments from Somalia through a smuggling network led by Hassan Al-Attas.
Resistance forces reported Houthi attacks used 130 missiles and 145 suicide drones over a month.

Left

Abandoned Weapons Seized

Houthi rebels captured Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including Mokha and Bab al-Mandab Strait, from pro-government forces in early September 2026.
Government forces, including the National Resistance and the Giants Brigade, suffered poor coordination and internal rivalries, weakening defense and exposing civilians.
Tens of thousands of civilians fled the coastal areas as the Houthi advance accelerated.
Retreating troops abandoned Saudi- and UAE-supplied armored vehicles, rockets and ammunition, which the Houthis seized.

Blindspot

The rapid Houthi advance forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee the Red Sea coastal areas, with residents such as Issa Gubwani reporting abandoned military vehicles left civilians exposed.
Within this story's sources, this humanitarian displacement angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In March 2015 Saudi Arabia led a coalition that launched Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen at President Hadi’s request, deploying over 10,000 troops and 30 Apache helicopters to push back Houthi forces. Backed by Gulf Cooperation Council and opposed by Iran-backed Houthis, the war turned into a proxy conflict. The September 2026 capture of Mokha and Bab al-Mandeb Strait revives that 2015 escalation, prompting UN and GCC pressure.

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IRGC Somalia smuggling

Houthi rebels captured Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing Mokha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait from pro-government forces in early September 2026.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers directed tactics while Iranian sources placed radars and coordinated weapon shipments from Somalia through a smuggling network led by Hassan Al-Attas.
Resistance forces reported Houthi attacks used 130 missiles and 145 suicide drones over a month.

1 / 4