ALWAGHT- YAF forces swiftly seized control of al-Mokha and Bab al-Mandab, effectively reversing nearly three years of Saudi and Emirati efforts to consolidate their position along Yemen’s western coastline.
The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) say they have captured al-Mokha, advanced toward Dhubab and Mayyun Island, and expelled Saudi-backed forces from six districts in Taiz and Hodeidah. The operation reportedly began on September 3 and covered about 5,400 square kilometers.
The gains are strategically significant because al-Mokha lies about 75 kilometers from Bab al-Mandab, a major maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Control of the area could provide the YAF with greater oversight of shipping routes and strengthen its ability to impose restrictions on vessels linked to Israel.
The captured area also includes infrastructure developed during years of Saudi-Emirati involvement, including al-Mokha's port, an airport runway and military bases. Mayyun Island, meanwhile, contains a strategically important military runway overlooking the narrowest section of Bab al-Mandab.
The significance of Bab al-Mandab extends beyond oil shipments, with food commodities and subsea fiber-optic cables also passing through the corridor. Control of both Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz could provide Iran and its aligned forces with complementary pressure points over regional maritime routes.
Saudi- and Emirati-backed forces took nearly three years to establish their position around Bab al-Mandab and al-Mokha, while the YAF reportedly reversed those gains within days. The rapid collapse is attributed to divisions among the Saudi-backed forces, local dynamics and the YAF's unified command structure and growing military capabilities.
