Yemeni Government Forces Redeploy to Mokha Amid Major Houthi Offensive

     Yemeni government forces have withdrawn from Hays and Al-Khokha toward Mokha as part of a redeployment plan following a major Houthi offensive involving drones, missiles and successive waves of fighters, military sources said.

The sources said the move aimed to reinforce Mokha’s defenses amid concerns over a potential Houthi advance toward Bab al-Mandab. It followed a reported breakthrough in Al-Wazi’iyah and the Houthis’ entry into Khalid bin al-Walid military camp.

The developments follow a September 8 Sheba Intelligence report on a reported Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps plan to renew the push toward Bab al-Mandab. Citing a source in Hodeidah, the report described coordinated offensives aimed at retaking Hays, reaching Al-Khokha and linking coastal operations with fighting in western Taiz. The plan also identified Al-Wazi’iyah as a potential route toward the strait through neighboring Dhubab.

The extent of the latest Houthi advance and the situation in areas vacated by government forces could not be independently verified.