Houthis eye Yemen’s oil-rich east after seizing Red Sea coast

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, their biggest territorial gains in years. The offensive has reignited the 12-year civil war, displaced 125,000 people, and pushed up global fuel prices. The Houthis now threaten Yemen's oil-rich east, with the Saudi-backed government as the main obstacle. The US has shown no interest in intervening.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha and several islands near the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait, through which 12% of world trade passes. The offensive, the Houthis' biggest territorial gain in years, has reignited Yemen's 12-year civil war and pushed up global fuel prices. The rebels are now eyeing Yemen's oil-rich east, with the Saudi-backed government and an array of forces as the only obstacle. The US has shown no interest in intervening. The fighting has displaced 125,000 people, with 3,000 fleeing by sea to Djibouti. The Houthis are also firing at Saudi oil facilities and tankers, and an attack on Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline has rattled world markets. The Houthis want Saudi Arabia to lift a blockade on territory they control.