Yemeni anti-Houthi forces have reportedly uncovered intelligence and military maps detailing an alleged Iranian plan for a phased advance towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The National Resistance Front, a coalition of forces opposed to the Houthis and led by Tareq Saleh, a former Houthi ally and senior member of Yemen’s government, obtained the information, Iran International reported, citing a Yemeni military media announcement on Wednesday.
According to the Yemeni military, the intelligence was recovered from a laptop belonging to a Houthi commander who was captured by government forces in western Yemen. The commander was reportedly responsible for Houthi military operations.
The NRF-affiliated “Republic Network” subsequently released images of military maps that allegedly outline four stages of an advance towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
The maps were also said to contain details of Houthi military movements and operational plans, according to Iran International.
The development came as the Iranian-backed Houthis reportedly expanded their presence in Mocha, a Yemeni port city on the Red Sea located less than 50 miles from the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Three anti-Houthi Yemeni government officials told Reuters on Thursday that Houthi forces had taken control of Mocha.
Arab media reports had earlier said Yemeni government forces withdrew from the city on Thursday morning as Houthi fighters advanced. Photos and videos subsequently circulated online showing fighters inside Mocha.
The NRF, however, said its forces were also active in the area, with a force commander leading a military contingent into Mocha on Thursday morning.
“Force reorganization and consolidation [of Mocha’s defenses] are underway in coordination with the anti-Houthi coalition,” the NRF’s official media outlet reported.
The outlet added that NRF forces had engaged Houthi naval forces in clashes.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a strategically important maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serving as a major route for international shipping.
The reported developments around Mocha and the alleged military plans have heightened concerns over control of the waterway, particularly amid the broader conflict involving the Houthis and regional and international forces.
