The Yemeni government stated, "The attack carried out by the Houthi militias today on the Al-Mokha port represents a blatant challenge to all international and UN efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and work towards ending the war in Yemen." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates explained in a statement that the Houthi militias launched a ballistic missile attack this morning and fired five explosive drones at the Al-Mokha port, located on the western coast, causing significant damage to its operational facilities and food storage areas. This attack followed the local authority's efforts to rehabilitate and initially operate the port to receive commercial goods and humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the citizens.
The statement confirmed that the attack on a civilian facility would not have occurred had these rebellious militias faced consequences for their repeated crimes against the Yemeni people in various regions of Yemen. It noted that the Houthi terrorist attack, which resulted in the burning of warehouses belonging to several relief organizations operating along the western coast and the goods of importers, coincided with the resumption of commercial activity at Al-Mokha port. This represents a continuation of the Houthi militia's targeting of civilian resources and the systematic destruction of the national economy's infrastructure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called upon the United Nations and the international community to condemn Houthi crimes, take a firm stance against them, and hold the perpetrators accountable, urging that silence is not an option.
**Iranian-Made Drones**
Yemen's Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, condemned the attack on the historic Al-Mokha port by the Houthi militia using Iranian-made drones. Al-Eryani stated via his Twitter account, "We strongly condemn and denounce the cowardly and treacherous terrorist attack carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, targeting the historic Al-Mokha port with four Iranian-made drones, which led to the burning of warehouses used by several relief organizations active in the western coast, along with goods belonging to importers."
The Yemeni Minister of Information considered the terrorist attack, which comes just weeks after the resumption of commercial activity at Al-Mokha port, a continuation of the Houthi militia's targeting of civilian resources and the systematic destruction of the national economy's infrastructure, aiming to regress Yemen centuries backward. He added, "The treacherous attack coinciding with the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks confirms once again that the Houthi militia is a terrorist organization that does not differ from Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Intensifying political and military pressure and including it and its leaders on terrorist lists is the only path to achieving security and stability in Yemen and the region."
**Just Weeks After Resuming Operation**
On Saturday, the Houthi insurgents targeted the Al-Mokha port, west of Yemen, with ballistic missile fire and drones just weeks after the port had resumed operations, which had been stalled for more than six years. The director of Al-Mokha port reported that the Houthis targeted the facility with three drones and four missiles just minutes after a government delegation arrived to inaugurate its operations.
Yemen's Vice President, Ali Mohsen Saleh, commented that the Houthi attack on Al-Mokha port is a "condemnable and denounced crime," affirming that the Houthi strike revealed to the world their misuse of the Stockholm Agreement. He noted that these "terrorist" attacks by the Houthis on vital facilities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia represent a clear challenge and a disregard for all international and UN efforts.
Yemeni sources reported that three successive missiles targeted the port area, within a half-hour, while a fourth missile hit about 15 minutes later, igniting one of the fuel tanks and producing a column of black smoke. Eyewitnesses heard successive explosions from within the port, which had recently resumed operations as a civilian facility. They mentioned seeing an ambulance rushing to the port, indicating probable casualties among port workers.
Additionally, the Yemeni newspaper "Al-Sharq" reported from local residents that the ballistic missiles targeting the port were launched from areas under Houthi control north of Taiz city. Residents observed the launch of three ballistic missiles from Al-Sittin street, near the Sharab intersection, heading westward towards Al-Mokha, passing through the Maqbanah district.
Al-Mokha port is considered one of the oldest ports in the Arabian Peninsula. It served as a major market for coffee exports between the 15th and 17th centuries, with the terms "mocha" and "mocaccino" deriving from this historic port. The port's significance is further enhanced by its proximity to the international waterway in the Red Sea, just six kilometers away, linking Europe and East Africa with South Asia and the Middle East, in addition to its advantageous geographic position for southern and central regions, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, African horn countries, and the Arabian Sea.
