Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have been engaged in fierce battles with a Saudi-led coalition to secure control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea, have seized the Red Sea coastal city of Mocha, foreign media outlets including Reuters and AFP reported on the 10th local time.

Citing three Yemeni government sources, Reuters reported that the Houthis took control of Mocha and have moved closer to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

AFP also reported the same news, citing a Yemeni military source.

The source stated, "Houthi rebels have taken control of Mocha and are currently advancing toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait."

Local witnesses said they saw rebel forces entering the city while shouting slogans such as "Death to America, death to Israel."

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

The Houthi rebels capturing this area means they have secured a bridgehead toward the strait.

Moving south from Mocha along the coastline leads to Doubab and the Ras al-Shaykh Said (the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula), which directly borders the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Controlling this coastline allows for visual monitoring of vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as the direct deployment of ground troops and short-range weapons.

Furthermore, if they also take control of Perim Island, located in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and dividing it into two channels, they could control maritime traffic through the strait.

Perim Island is currently controlled by anti-Houthi factions, including southern Yemeni separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates, who have established a runway and military base there.

Even if they do not physically and completely occupy Doubab or Perim Island, by seizing Mocha, the Houthi rebels can pose a threat to traffic through the strait.

Mocha is close enough for Houthi anti-ship missiles, suicide drones, and high-speed boats to launch and directly strike commercial ships or warships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthi rebels have been locked in fierce clashes with government forces backed by Saudi Arabia as they attempt to advance into the Red Sea coastal region bordering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping lane.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects Asia and Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, has rapidly grown in importance as a major export route for energy resources such as oil, especially after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz amid attacks by the United States and Israel.