Yemeni Mokha Port Halts Operations After Strikes

The port of Mokha in Yemen has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being struck by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks in recent days, the port director said Saturday.

Seven people were killed in the attacks, which caused an estimated $16m in damage, the director said at a press conference. Mokha is a port on the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandab strait, a strategically important location connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and a key route for international shipping.

The port is controlled by forces allied with the internationally recognized Yemeni government. It has a smaller cargo capacity than Yemen's main ports, Aden and Hodeidah. The Yemeni government said Friday that the Houthis had fired six ballistic missiles at the port of Mukha that day, killing at least four civilians and targeting civilian, economic and maritime facilities.

The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions caused by the US war against Iran and has raised fears of a return to widespread conflict in Yemen. Major fighting in Yemen has largely subsided since the UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but efforts to reach a lasting political settlement have stalled.

(Reuters, TASR)