Road to key Yemeni city reopened after Houthis advance along Red Sea

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured the key port city of Mokha in Taiz province, giving them control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline.

Government forces still control parts of Taiz province, including the capital city of the same name, but fighting in the area continues with reports of attacks on Houthi positions.

The conflict in Yemen, involving Iran and Saudi Arabia, has left over 150,000 people dead from fighting and another 220,000 from indirect consequences, with 22 million people currently dependent on humanitarian assistance.

A main access road to the city of Taiz in south-western Yemen has been reopened following an advance by Iran-backed Houthi rebels along the country's western coast, local government and military sources reported on Sunday.

The Houthis now control the country's entire Red Sea coastline after capturing the key port city of Mokha in Taiz province from government forces earlier this week.

Mokha is located some 90 kilometres west of the city of Taiz. Government forces currently still control parts of Taiz province including its capital city of the same name, but fighting in the area continues.

Military sources said that government forces had again attacked Houthi positions in the Taiz area. Houthi-owned television channel Al-Masirah reported that Saudi Arabia had bombed targets to support pro-government forces.

According to Houthi-controlled news agency Saba, the Iran-backed rebels attacked weapons depots and command centres in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's Saudi-backed government for more than a decade. A 2022 truce left the conflict largely frozen, but also with little prospect of an end to the war.

Fighting has flared up again amid the wider war involving Iran, plunging the already impoverished country, which borders Saudi Arabia and Oman, deeper into civil war.

According to UN estimates from 2021, more than 150,000 people were killed in fighting, while another 220,000 died as a result of indirect consequences of the war, including hunger and disease. Around 22 million people in Yemen currently depend on humanitarian assistance.

Their recent advance along the country's western coast will allow the Houthis to ramp up attacks and blockades on shipping launched amid resurging tensions with Saudi Arabia.

A Houthi spokesman said that shipping would remain safe, with the exception of Saudi vessels.