The Yemeni Armed Forces have taken control of the key al-Ardhi port area on Bab al-Mandeb, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported, citing its correspondent in the capital Sana’a.The report said the capture on Thursday gives the YAF control of Yemen’s coastline overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and said this could allow forces fighting Saudi mercenaries to exert greater influence over maritime traffic between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.The fall of al-Ardhi marks the culmination of a rapid and highly successful military campaign along Yemen’s western coast against Saudi-backed mercenary groups.The capture of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Arabic for the “Gate of Tears,” gives the Sana’a government unparalleled leverage over maritime traffic entering and exiting the Red Sea.BREAKING NEWSYemeni Armed Forces ( Sanaa Forces) have succeeded in liberating all our prisoners who were held in the prisons of Saudi UAE backed forces under the command of Tariq Saleh in Mocha city on the West Coast of Yemen red seaنجحت القوات المسلحة اليمنية في تحرير جميع… pic.twitter.com/jF1Wka0HQJ— Hussain Albukhaiti حسين البخيتي (@HussainBukhaiti) September 10, 2026The development dramatically strengthens Yemen’s hand in its ongoing war with the Saudi-led coalition and reinforces its “siege for a siege” doctrine, which aims to counter the decade-long blockade imposed on Yemen by Riyadh.This strategic breakthrough is part of a broader, multi-front offensive by the Yemeni Armed Forces that has seen Saudi-backed defenses collapse along the western coast.Over the past several days, Yemeni troops have secured a string of major victories, capturing the pivotal districts of Hays and al-Khawkhah, seizing the coastal town of Yakhtul, and advancing to the outskirts of the strategic Mokha port.Meanwhile, the Yemeni Armed Forces have reported a severe escalation in Saudi aerial bombardments, revealing that Riyadh launched 64 airstrikes across four Yemeni governorates in a single 24-hour period.Yemen Vows ‘Severe Retaliation’ After 54 Saudi Airstrikes in 12 HoursAccording to military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the intense bombing campaign was carried out by Saudi F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon jets operating out of the King Fahd Air Base in Taif and the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait.The heavy bombardment targeted the provinces of Taiz, Al-Hudaydah, Marib, and Al-Jawf, continuing a brutal pattern of attacks on the war-torn country.Despite the overwhelming volume of aerial strikes, Yemeni air defense units achieved a significant tactical success on the ground in the Taiz Governorate.General Saree stated that the armed forces successfully intercepted and repelled an advancing enemy combat formation by deploying a barrage of locally manufactured missiles. (PressTV)