Yemeni govt forces reach Dhubab Airport, near Houthi-occupied Mocha Red Sea port

Yemeni government-aligned forces have reached Dhubab Airport, just 54km south of the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha.

Local media have circulated footage purporting to show troops entering Mocha after apparent Houthi withdrawals, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Oct. 6, 2026.

Independent verification of the report is not available at this hour.

The reported retreat of Houthi positions from the Mayyun (Perim) Peninsula northward to at least Dhubab — a distance of roughly 30km — points to a major collapse of frontline units, with no clear evidence that the Iran-backed group has yet halted the rout, ISW said.

Houthis captured the strategic port of Mocha within an extraordinary 36 hours in September, and then Perim Island — also known as Mayun — at the entrance to the Bab Al Mandeb Strait.

The rapid collapse has triggered a blame game over how two strategically important positions could fall despite months of warning and growing US support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the Houthis, according to a CNN report.

If the breakdown holds, Yemeni government forces could push the disorganised Houthi fighters further north rapidly, potentially reaching and surpassing Mocha along the coast.

ISW noted that signs the Houthis have stabilised south of Mocha would include sustained, static fighting in the same locations over several days.

Instead, local posts on Oct. 5 showed fighters reportedly abandoning positions north and east of Mocha, suggesting the collapse is ongoing and defensive lines have not been re-established.

ISW’s Conflict Tracker Project (ISW-CTP) said it will continue monitoring for any indication that Houthi units have regrouped and formed new defensive positions around Mokha and the coastal highway.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late on Monday that Saudi Arabia has a right to defend itself against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces advanced on the ground and the Saudi-led coalition stepped up air strikes.

Rubio affirmed that Washington would honour its defence and security agreement with the kingdom, even as Yemeni government troops reported securing control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, the Dhubab area overlooking the sea lane and the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, with coalition air power targeting Houthi positions.

“Obviously the Saudis have come under Houthi attack and see the threat that that poses, and they have a right to defend themselves,” Rubio said. “And obviously the Yemeni forces are going to try to retake territory that they were ousted from.”

Dhubab, Mocha: Why they matter

• Mocha is a key Red Sea port and gateway for fuel, food and aid into western Yemen; control of the city and its approaches affects both military logistics and humanitarian flows.

• Dhubab Airport, about 54km south of Mokha, serves as a forward operating base and staging point for operations along the coast; government control there shortens supply lines and opens a direct axis toward the port.

• The Mayyun (Perim) Peninsula, near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, is strategically sensitive because of its proximity to one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes; a Houthi pullback from Mayyun toward Dhubab signals pressure on their southern flank and potential exposure of Red Sea supply routes.