Yemen’s Houthi rebels march during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)
A worshipper reads from an oversized Quran at the Al-Shamy Mosque in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Foreign and Yemeni seafarers protest against Houthi attacks on vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in Mokha, Yemen, Aug. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdulnasser Alseddik, File)
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The capture of the Red Sea port of Mokha and a strategic island by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen brings their forces to the heart of a key choke point for the global economy: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait leading out of the Red Sea.
The Houthis took Mokha on Thursday and on Friday captured Mayun, also known as Perim, off Yemen’s coast, two officials said, in a swift advance that extends their reach near one of the world’s key commercial lanes.
