Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha on Friday (August 14, 2026), killing four civilians, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and its Saudi-backed opponents. The escalation comes at a time of heightened regional tensions over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, where the Houthis have emerged as a key front, raising the prospect of a return to large-scale conflict in Yemen.
The armed forces aligned with the Yemeni government said the attack targeted civilian infrastructure and national assets at the port. Initial reports said four civilians were killed and several fishing boats were set on fire. The Houthis said they had attacked what they described as Saudi-backed military build-ups, weapons and warships belonging to Saudi-backed forces and “mercenaries” in Mocha with a large number of ballistic missiles, destroying boats and weapons.
The reported attacks follow a rise in hostilities between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government. On Thursday (August 13), the Houthis said they had attacked an Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan with two drones. On July 20, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, saying it was a response to what they called a Saudi siege of Yemen, an allegation Riyadh denies.
The source said the attack was a response to what it described as Saudi military aircraft entering airspace over the northeastern part of Yemen’s Saada governorate. The report did not identify the precise target or say whether it had been hit. A Saudi-led coalition responded with air strikes on what it said were Houthi military facilities in the port city of Hodeidah linked to threats against commercial shipping.
