Houthis attack Yemen's Mocha port, raising Red Sea shipping concerns

Yemen’s Iranian‑backed Houthi rebels launched an attack on a government‑controlled port along the Red Sea coast late Sunday, striking the facility that handles a significant portion of the country’s maritime trade. The strike, which targeted infrastructure used for both civilian and military purposes, came amid a series of recent Houthi operations aimed at disrupting shipping lanes that connect the Gulf of Aden with the Suez Canal, a corridor that handles a substantial share of global oil and cargo traffic.

The assault has heightened concerns about the security of the strategic waterway and the possibility of a renewed escalation in Yemen’s protracted civil conflict. International observers noted that the Houthi movement, which receives support from Iran, has increasingly focused on maritime targets to pressure the internationally recognized government and its allies. Regional powers and United Nations officials have warned that further attacks could jeopardize commercial shipping, raise insurance costs, and potentially draw neighboring states into a broader confrontation, underscoring the fragile stability of the already volatile region.