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Saudi Airstrikes Hit Houthi-Held Mokha Airport Near Key Strait
Saudi Arabia reportedly attacked an airport in Mokha, a city in Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
The attack happened after the Houthis moved into the important port city.
Mokha is close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major route used by ships.
More fighting near the strait could make it harder and more expensive for ships to travel.
The Houthis say their attacks are connected to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of areas they control.
Iran supports the Houthis and has asked Saudi Arabia to end the blockade and return to talks.
Saudi Arabia says it has the right to defend itself against the Houthi attacks.
The fighting could also end a truce and worsen the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Saudi airstrikes reportedly hit Mokha airport in Yemen on Friday, according to a Houthi broadcaster.
The strikes followed the Houthis’ entry into Mokha, bringing them within about 80 kilometres of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Iran called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen and urged renewed negotiations with the Houthis.
Houthi attacks and threats have disrupted shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb, an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz.
The escalation threatens a fragile truce that had largely halted Yemen’s civil war since 2022.
- Who
- Saudi Arabia, the Houthi movement, Iran, and Yemen’s Saudi-backed internationally recognized government are involved.
- What
- Saudi airstrikes reportedly hit the Houthi-held Mokha airport after Houthi forces entered Mokha.
- Where
- At Mokha airport in Yemen, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.
- When
- The airstrikes were reported on Friday, one day after the Houthis entered Mokha.
- Why
- The Houthis say their actions respond to Saudi Arabia’s blockade, while Saudi Arabia says it has the right to defend itself against Houthi attacks.
Houthi and Iranian Position
Saudi and Yemeni Government Position
Blockade and negotiations
Houthi and Iranian Position
The Houthis say their attacks respond to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Houthi-held areas, while Iran has called for the blockade to end and for negotiations to resume.
Saudi and Yemeni Government Position
Saudi Arabia says it has consistently offered opportunities for negotiation but also maintains that it has the right to defend itself against Houthi attacks.
Control of the Red Sea coast
Houthi and Iranian Position
The Houthis’ advance toward Mokha and the Bab el-Mandeb gives them greater control near a major shipping route and strengthens their position against Saudi Arabia and its allies.
Saudi and Yemeni Government Position
Yemen’s internationally recognized government says it is on the front line of protecting freedom of navigation and has called for international support against the Houthi advance.
Regional escalation
Houthi and Iranian Position
Iranian officials have backed the Houthis and indicated that Yemen should be included in any broader negotiations with the United States.
Saudi and Yemeni Government Position
Saudi-backed authorities warn that renewed Houthi attacks could destabilize the region and return Yemen to civil war.
Key facts
- Reported target
- Mokha airport, in Houthi-held Yemen
- Territorial advance
- The Houthis entered Mokha on Thursday
- Distance to strait
- Mokha is about 80 kilometres from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Iran’s response
- Iran called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade and a return to negotiations
- Shipping impact
- Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb reportedly fell by about 60% after Houthi attacks began in late 2023
- Truce at risk
- The escalation threatens a truce that had largely halted Yemen’s civil war since 2022
- Human cost
- The conflict has killed about 150,000 people, according to the article
Sources
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