Yemen's Houthi movement has reportedly seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, according to military sources. The capture brings the Iran-backed group closer to controlling the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital shipping route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting that matters because it threatens a fragile four-year ceasefire and further destabilises a region already central to global oil supplies.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced since the Houthis launched their offensive in south-western Yemen a week ago. The conflict with Saudi Arabia has also intensified, with the Houthis launching dozens of drones and missiles at southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, injuring 73 civilians and sparking fires at oil facilities. The Houthis say this was retaliation for Saudi air strikes, including one on a prison in Jawf province that reportedly killed at least 23 civilians, while Saudi Arabia has vowed to respond further. The unravelling truce, which began in July with a Houthi "maritime embargo", has contributed to global oil prices surging past $100 a barrel.