Houthis capture Mocha, then seize Hanish Islands

Local sources cited by Reuters: IRGC's Abdul Reza Shahlai led operation

Houthi rebels in Yemen (EPA)
Houthi rebels in Yemen (EPA)

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personally directed the operation in which Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen seized a critical Red Sea chokepoint, Reuters reported Thursday (local time).

According to Yemeni government and Iranian sources, the Houthis received direct orders and strategic advice from the Revolutionary Guard. The support came as they advanced on the strategic port city of Mocha that day.

Yemeni military sources said intercepted communications and statements from captured Houthi fighters indicate the operation was overseen by Abdul Reza Shahlai, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander.

A regional diplomat said several senior Revolutionary Guard commanders recently traveled to Yemen to personally direct the Houthis' offensive operations on the ground. This suggests Iran has gone beyond simply supplying weapons and funds and is directly involved in the Houthis' military operations.

Iran reportedly also issued directives as the Houthis expanded their front along the Red Sea coast.

According to Iranian sources, Iran promised additional funding and weapons to the Houthis last week while instructing them to escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The sources said the Revolutionary Guard has been able to move weapons and personnel in and out of Yemen even amid an ongoing blockade of Houthi-held areas.

However, they did not disclose the specific methods used to move them.

Earlier, just a month after declaring the end of a truce last month, the Houthis captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday. They then went on to seize the strategic Hanish Islands.

Mocha is a strategic location about 70 to 80 kilometers north of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis' capture of the city gives them a foothold toward the strait.

If the rebels go on to seize the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, global maritime shipping could come under significant pressure.

For Iran, the Houthis' capture of Mocha also strengthens its strategic position by adding pressure on oil prices and burdening the United States and Saudi Arabia.

An Iranian official told Reuters that the advance on Mocha "was a decision made by the Houthis, not Iran," while acknowledging that the operation ultimately benefited Iran.

Yemeni government forces also requested additional support from Saudi Arabia in response to the Houthi advance, sources said.

Two other Yemeni officials said they requested additional military support from Saudi Arabia last week when the Houthi advance on Mocha began.

However, Saudi Arabia provided only limited weapons, logistics and intelligence support. Its airstrikes were also limited, targeting the northern front rather than key strategic assets such as Sanaa, the Houthis' main stronghold, or oil storage facilities.

Yemeni officials assessed that Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid a full-scale escalation out of concern over large-scale Houthi drone strikes targeting its own territory.

Saudi Arabia has supported the Yemeni government in the country's civil war, while Iran has long provided funding and weapons to the Houthis.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com