Yemen’s Mokha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port’s director said on Saturday.
– The attacks killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses, the director told a news conference.
– Mokha is a Red Sea port near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for international shipping.
– The port is controlled by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. It has a smaller cargo capacity than Yemen’s main ports of Aden and Hodeidah.
– Yemen’s government said on Friday the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at Mokha that day, killing at least four civilians and targeting civilian, economic and maritime facilities.
– The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions from the US war on Iran and has raised concerns about a return to large-scale conflict in Yemen.
– Major fighting in Yemen had largely subsided following a UN-brokered truce in 2022, but efforts to reach a lasting political settlement have stalled.