Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize strategic Red Sea port in Yemen

The rebel group took over Yemen's port of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said. Mokha is about 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6618x4412+0+0/resize/6618x4412!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F97%2F26%2F70548b854bb7801d39d7d604b02f%2Fap26253317964125.jpg' alt='Yemen's Houthi rebels gather during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.'/><p>The rebel group took over Yemen's port of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said. Mokha is about 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.</p><p>(Image credit: STR)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-142822' />