Yemeni port of Al-Mokha suspends operations after Houthi missile strikes

The commercial port of Al-Mokha in Yemen has suspended all trade and shipping operations after more than 25 missiles were launched by the Houthi group over several days, the port's director said at a press conference in the capital, Sanaa. The director reported seven people were killed and material damage estimated at around $16 million. Al-Mokha lies on the Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an area controlled by forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The port has a lower cargo capacity than the country's main hubs of Aden and Hodeidah, which have historically handled the bulk of Yemen's maritime trade. The Yemeni government said on Friday that the Houthis had fired six ballistic missiles at Al-Mokha, killing at least four civilians and targeting civilian, economic and maritime facilities. The Houthis claimed their strikes aimed at an arms and military stockpile belonging to Saudi-backed forces and at warships in Al-Mokha, without providing evidence. The escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions linked to U.S. military pressure on Iran. No further details on the port's reopening were immediately available.