Houthis hit Mocha port, kill three civilians

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at the government-held Red Sea port of Mocha late on Sunday, striking a key civilian and military facility in the latest escalation of their campaign to pressure Israel over the Gaza war.

The attack on Mocha, a historic port city with limited operational capacity, killed at least three civilians and damaged grain silos and a grain mill used to distribute food aid. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, said the strike targeted “Zionist ships” and Israeli-linked interests, though no foreign vessels were reported hit. The Yemeni government accused the rebels of targeting Mocha to disrupt aid flows and destabilize the fragile truce that has largely held since 2022.

Mocha sits on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. About 12% of global seaborne oil and 8% of grain trade pass through the strait. The Houthis have repeatedly disrupted shipping since October 2023, including hijacking a cargo ship in November and attacking vessels with drones and missiles. Their actions have pushed up maritime insurance costs and rerouted some shipping away from the Suez route, raising fears of renewed supply chain shocks.

Aid groups warn the attack could worsen food insecurity in Yemen, where 17 million people already face acute hunger. The UN has warned that any disruption to aid flows through Mocha could push parts of the country back toward famine. The Houthis’ escalation comes as peace talks remain stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the breakdown. International mediators are scrambling to prevent a slide back into full-scale civil war, which has killed more than 377,000 people since 2014. The U.S. and allies have increased patrols in the Red Sea, but the Houthis show no sign of backing down, raising the risk of a prolonged confrontation that could further destabilize a region already on edge.