ADEN, Yemen (AP) — The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Thursday took over Yemen’s port city of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials say.

Mokha, is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic waterway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden through which about 12 percent of the world’s oil and other goods are shipped.

The Bab el-Mandeb has become even more important for global energy supplies since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz was disrupted by Iran after it was attacked by the United States and Israel in February.

The Houthis’ takeover of Mokha was confirmed to The Associated Press by Ahmed Baash, a commander with the National Resistance Forces allied with Yemen’s government, and Hazam al-Assad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau.

Mokha represents the Houthis biggest territorial gain since a truce signed in 2022 to end a civil war that lasted more than a decade. A return to full-scale civil war would be devastating for the Yemeni people and potentially world energy supplies.

Residents of Mokha have told AP that Houthi Forces can be seen all around the city and that markets have shuttered. Mokha was long held by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

ADEN, Yemen (AP) —

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have entered Yemen's strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, several residents said Thursday, which could bring them closer to controlling a key waterway to the Red Sea that is also a critical shipping route.

If confirmed, the development is significant as the Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Mokha is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the strait.

The Bab el-Mandeb has served as an important shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's six-month war with the United States and Israel has choked off most commercial ship traffic. Continued fighting in the strait this week sent oil prices above $100 per barrel.

Mokha long had been held by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Two residents and three local doctors told The Associated Press that Houthi forces had entered the port city.

Resident Amin al-Mohammdi said the Houthis had fanned out across intersections in Mokha. All roads from the west coast leading to Mokha have been closed, and shops were shut, he said. Another resident, Mohamed Salem, reported seeing vehicles belonging to Houthi forces in the streets.

Three doctors told the AP they fled a Mokha hospital after it was seized by the Houthis. The doctors spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fears for their safety. They said other residents were fleeing south, toward the city of Aden, which is controlled by the Saudi-backed forces.

The AP could not independently verify the claims.

The Houthis have fought a civil war with the country's internationally recognized government that started in 2014. The fighting now threatens a fragile truce that took effect in 2022.

The Houthis recently made advances in the western province of Taiz, where Mokha is located, according to Ahmed al-Mawazi, a trooper with the Yemeni armed forces, and Abdel Kader al-Sharabi, a member of the Saudi-backed forces supporting the Yemeni government.

Both said the rebels had seized control of the al-Shaqira area, an important supply route connecting the city of Taiz, the provincial capital, and other inland areas to Yemen’s western coast.

Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces launched airstrikes targeting Houthi reinforcements west of Taiz, they added. Clashes also continued along Yemen’s western coast, particularly in the direction of the southern part of the key port city of Hodeida. The fighting has taken place near crucial supply routes.

Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV claimed that Saudi-backed forces launched 40 airstrikes in recent hours in Taiz, Jawf, Hodeida and Marib provinces. The AP couldn’t independently verify the claim. There was no immediate comment from the government forces.