Capitals, Sept. 11 (SANA)Iranian weapons and military guidance helped the Houthi militia advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and seize the strategic port city of Mocha, Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government and regional sources.

The advance was supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which provided assistance as part of efforts to open a new front in the conflict with the United States, Reuters reported Friday.

The capture of Mocha expands the Houthi militia’s presence near theBab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s key maritime trade and energy routes, at a time of heightened regional tensions.

Iranian sources cited by Reuters said Tehran had urged the militia to step up attacks against Saudi Arabia and pledged additional funding, weapons and senior military officers.

Five Yemeni government military sources said the IRGC helped direct the Houthi campaign along the Red Sea coast in the Tihama region. They cited intercepted communications and accounts from captured fighters as pointing to a role by senior IRGC commander Abdolreza Shahlaei.

An Iranian official told Reuters that the decision to seize Mocha was made by the Houthi militia, while acknowledging that the move also served Iranian interests by increasing pressure on the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed Naji, aYemenanalyst at the International Crisis Group, described the development as a “turning point,” linking the militia’s growing capabilities to new weapons, including drones.

The advance comes amid renewed fighting in Yemen after several years of reduced hostilities following the 2022 ceasefire, fueling concerns over regional stability and maritime security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.FJ/ABD