Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Mokha Airport in Yemen on Friday, September 11, just hours after Iran-backed Houthi forces seized control of the strategic Red Sea port city.
The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah network reported that Saudi warplanes struck the Mokha facility in two separate bombing raids. Riyadh has neither officially confirmed nor denied responsibility for the operation.
The capture of Mokha places Houthi forces in close proximity to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global maritime chokepoint for international shipping and energy transport. Following their capture of Mokha, Houthi units advanced further along the Red Sea coast toward the strategic Hanish Islands.
Reuters previously reported that the Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coast was carried out with direct arms support and operational guidance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Regional, Iranian, and Yemeni sources informed Reuters that Tehran played a key role in providing weapons, drones, and command-level guidance for the campaign.
