Major Adil Raja

� WAR REPORT LIVE | A major new front has opened in the Middle East war.

� Houthis have captured Mocha as the Yemen war surges towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab corridor. Could the world's next major energy crisis now be moving from Hormuz to the Red Sea?

Houthi forces have captured the strategically important Yemeni Red Sea port of Mocha, dramatically changing the military geography around Bab al-Mandab — one of the world's most important maritime and energy chokepoints.

In this livestream, I use the latest open-source battlefield maps and reporting to explain how the Houthi advance unfolded, why Dhubab, Perim Island and the Bab al-Mandab Strait now matter, and what this could mean for Saudi Arabia, global shipping and oil prices.

We examine reports that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Donald Trump twice seeking US military action against the Houthis, while Washington declined direct strikes but CENTCOM moved into urgent coordination with Riyadh.

We also examine the bigger strategic picture:

• Why the fall of Mocha matters
• Houthi advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast
• Bab al-Mandab vs Strait of Hormuz
• Saudi Arabia's Red Sea oil-export lifeline
• Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure
• MBS's reported appeals to Washington
• CENTCOM's emergency Saudi coordination
• Iran's relationship with the Houthis
• Pakistan caught between Saudi Arabia and Iran
• The Mecca Joint Defense Pact's first major test
• Why oil has moved above $100
• What happens if the fighting reaches Dhubab and Perim Island
• The implications for global shipping and energy security

This is not simply another battle inside Yemen. The geography of the wider Middle East war may be changing.

� WAR REPORT — LIVE with Adil Raja
� 1600 UK | 2200 PKT | 2230 IST

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Disclaimer: Battlefield conditions are rapidly evolving. The programme distinguishes confirmed open-source reporting from claims, assessments and developing information. Maps and reports shown are attributed to their respective sources.

Thumbnail text

Keep the thumbnail much shorter than the generated versions. My strongest combination is:

HOUTHIS TAKE MOCHA!
BAB AL-MANDAB NEXT?

Small red corner tag:

WAR REPORT LIVE

And, if there is room, one small yellow kicker:

$100+ OIL

I would not put MBS, Trump, Pakistan, Iran and the Mecca Pact in thumbnail text. Their faces can communicate the wider story; the words should sell one proposition.