Houthis Seize Yemen's Red Sea Coast in 48-Hour Blitz With Iranian Help

Yemen's Houthi rebels seized the country's Red Sea coastline in less than two days this month, routing pro-government forces in their largest territorial advance in years — an offensive that people familiar with the battle say was directed in part by Iranian Revolutionary Guard advisers operating in the field.

The intervention marks Iran's most direct military role on behalf of the Houthis since Yemen's civil war began in 2014, and it underscores how Tehran has cultivated the rebels into a regional partner capable of opening a new front in its wider confrontation with the United States.

The Houthis' 115-kilometer (75-mile) push exploited deep divisions among forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government. According to a senior Houthi official, two regional officials, a top Yemeni military commander and a member of the presidential council — all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity — the rebels penetrated the internal communications of the National Resistance, the strongest pro-government force along the coast, tracking its movements and sowing confusion.

The National Resistance, roughly 30,000 fighters strong, had seen little major combat since 2017. For a month, Houthi forces pounded its positions with 130 ballistic missiles and 145 suicide drones, its spokesman Maj. Gen. Sadiq Dwaid said. Its fighters were stretched across 170 kilometers (100 miles) from Mokha into the mountainous interior, facing what he estimated were 75,000 Houthi fighters.

In early September, the Giants Brigade, a separate militia, intervened and briefly pushed the rebels back. But the two forces had not coordinated, and their rivalry — rooted in a long contest between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for influence over the anti-Houthi camp — left no unified command. "This was a priceless opportunity for the Houthis," the senior military official said.

On Sept. 9, the Houthis advanced south toward Mokha through a narrow mountain valley under heavy bombardment. Having breached their opponents' communications, they listened in and exploited the chaos, while National Resistance leaders lost contact with several field commanders. By afternoon, the rebels had seized the mountain road and a nearby base, cutting supply lines to Mokha. Lt. Gen. Tariq Saleh, the National Resistance leader, fled, eventually taking refuge in Saudi Arabia.

That evening, orders went out for field units to fall back on Mokha. When thousands of fighters began arriving, forces stationed in the port city feared a major assault was imminent and started to flee. A resident, Issa Gubwani, described military vehicles and pickups streaming out of the city. "They left us to face our fate," he said. Tens of thousands of residents joined the exodus.

When the rebels entered early on Sept. 10, the Houthi official said, "the city was empty." The Houthis also seized nearby strategic islands, extending their reach over Red Sea shipping lanes, and captured armored vehicles, rockets, artillery shells and ammunition — much of it supplied by the UAE and Saudi Arabia — displaying some of it in a televised parade.

The National Resistance said it lost 500 fighters, a figure that could not be independently confirmed. The Houthis have not disclosed their own losses.

Yemeni forces were stunned that Saudi warplanes did not strike the advancing Houthis, the senior military official said. The Saudi government media office did not respond to a request for comment.

The coastal campaign followed a year of deepening Iranian support. Mzahem Alsaloum, a security analyst who runs a private intelligence firm, said Tehran began providing stepped-up training and logistics on more advanced missiles, drones and uncrewed attack boats. In July, after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa's airport — apparently to halt a flight from Tehran — the rebels resumed attacks on the kingdom. Alsaloum and the senior Houthi official said that flight, which later landed, brought Revolutionary Guard advisers who joined others from the Guard and from Hezbollah already based in Yemen.

In early August, the Houthis resumed operations against government forces, focusing on Taiz and firing missiles and drones at Mokha. The Houthi official said Iranian advisers had previously concentrated on strategic planning but were now "present at all levels," including tactical maneuvers and front-line command. The two regional officials also described direct Iranian support behind the rapid advance, and Alsaloum said the advisers analyzed communications and satellite intelligence — capabilities the Houthis lacked. Iran's U.N. mission did not respond to requests for comment.

The Houthis' last major coastal campaign was in 2017, when government forces drove them from the area; since then they had focused on Marib. A truce took hold in 2022, followed by Red Sea shipping attacks over the Gaza war that continued until a punishing U.S. bombing campaign in 2025. After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February, the Houthis largely stayed on the sidelines.

With the coast lost, the closure of a key Saudi pipeline has strengthened the rebels' ability to choke off Saudi oil exports, pushing up global fuel prices and giving Iran greater leverage. The United States has appeared reluctant to assist its Saudi ally even as the Houthis gain momentum.

As government forces regroup, supporters of the rival militias have traded blame and accusations of treason online. The Houthis, the senior official said, are building defenses around their new territory.

"Losing the West Coast is not the end of the battle; rather, it marks the beginning of a fiercer battle," Brig. Gen. Walid Ziyad, a senior National Resistance commander, wrote on social media.