Iran-backed Houthi forces seized Mocha and several Red Sea islands, expanding their control toward the Bab al-Mandeb shipping chokepoint as Yemeni government forces collapsed. The offensive has killed hundreds, displaced at least 76,000 people, and intensified threats to regional shipping and global energy markets. Image courtesy of Iran’s Fars News. Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline remained shut as of September 13 following drone strikes traced to a launch site in Iraq’s Maysan province. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the province’s operations command and dismissed its commander.The drones were launched by Iran-backed militia networks embedded in Iraq’s security structure since the Iran-Iraq War, rather than by the regular Iraqi army. Al-Zaidi’s dismissal of the provincial commander reflects Baghdad’s limited control over these Iran-aligned factions.President Trump said Iran was “probably” responsible for the strike and noted that the Houthis had separately asked the United States not to target them. The Houthis, an Iran-backed movement fighting to seize Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are waging a second front in the same Iran-driven escalation that produced the pipeline strike.Formally known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis have controlled Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014 and receive arms, training, and funding from Iran as part of its regional network alongside Hezbollah and Hamas.The Popular Mobilization Forces, the Iraqi umbrella organization that includes the Maysan-based militias tied to the pipeline strike, are funded by the Iraqi state and nominally incorporated into its security structure. However, Brookings and other analysts describe the organization as dominated by Iran-aligned factions whose loyalties run as much to Tehran as to Baghdad. This divided loyalty limits al-Zaidi’s ability to rein in a provincial commander even after dismissing him.Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said the drone strikes caused injuries and damage that were still being assessed. Trump confirmed speaking with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on September 12 and said the situation would work out fine. At Iraq’s request, Saudi Arabia agreed not to retaliate immediately but reserved the right to protect its sovereignty and facilities.Since the Iran war broke out in February, Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping through mines, attacks, and threats against vessels transiting the waterway. Separately, CENTCOM has enforced its own naval blockade aimed at Iran, saying it redirected 100 commercial vessels over the preceding 60 days and that no ship has passed through without U.S. authorization.The Houthi advance toward the separate Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint threatens to compound the disruption by giving Iran leverage over a second major shipping route.On the ground, the IOM reported that at least 76,000 people had been displaced since July in Yemen’s West Coast and Taiz governorates, the areas hardest hit by the Houthi offensive. The number quadrupled during the previous week as the group advanced toward Mocha and Bab al-Mandeb.In a separate attack on September 12, Saudi Civil Defense said a Houthi-fired projectile launched from Yemen injured two people in the Jazan region and damaged several buildings, including a mosque. U.S. officials told NBC that the American military is helping Saudi forces develop and coordinate targets inside Yemen. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper flew to Saudi Arabia to coordinate with Saudi officials as government-aligned forces buckled.Houthi fighters seized Zuqar Island and the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands on September 11, using missile strikes followed by amphibious landings. They also landed by boat on Perim Island, also known as Mayun, after government forces withdrew. Perim divides the Bab al-Mandeb Strait into its two shipping lanes. The Houthis also captured the coastal town of Dhubab.The Houthis captured the port city of Mocha on September 10 before advancing north and south along the coast. Reuters reported that Iranian arms and advice helped enable the seizure. Yemeni government, Iranian, and regional sources said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps provided direct guidance.A senior Yemeni military source told CNN that the Houthis “committed everything” they had, including waves of fighters and their available ballistic missiles. He said he had repeatedly warned U.S. Central Command that the situation was becoming critical and was assured that Saudi air support was coming. “The air support never came,” he said.A separate Houthi attack on Saudi oil facilities that week wounded 73 people, including women and children, and temporarily halted operations at several energy facilities. Saudi Arabia has carried out retaliatory strikes.The offensive’s total death toll remains unsettled. AFP placed the toll at more than 300 combatants and civilians as of September 8, while a separate Associated Press report that day cited 194 people killed and more than 880 wounded. Neither tally has been confirmed to include the additional fighting from September 9 through 12, including the capture of Mocha, Perim, and Zuqar.Brent crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time in nearly four months as the Houthis seized Mocha. It briefly approached $110 before settling between $103 and $105. U.S. diesel prices topped $6 a gallon for the first time on September 11.The post Houthis Seize Yemen’s Red Sea Coast as Government Forces Collapse appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.