Mocha Port, located on Yemen's northwestern Red Sea coast, has recently come under the control of the Iran-aligned Houthi forces, drawing international attention due to its potential impact on Saudi Arabia's oil exports via the Red Sea route, which avoids the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Saudi Arabia has conducted airstrikes in the Mocha region.
According to the New York Times on September 12, Mocha Port was a thriving trade hub during the 16th to 18th centuries, serving as a major source of coffee supply and fostering a vibrant coffee shop culture.
Coffee is believed to have flourished in Yemen since the 1400s. Scholars suggest that Yemenis began drinking coffee during this period, with Arab Sufi monks possibly consuming it to stay awake for nighttime prayers. Following the Ottoman conquest of Yemen in the 1530s, coffee culture spread further. This tradition eventually led to the creation of the 'café mocha' drink, which combines espresso with chocolate and is now popular in many coffee shops. However, the role of Mocha in the global coffee market diminished after coffee cultivation began in Indonesia and the Caribbean in the 1720s.
In an interview with the newspaper, Allen Mikhail, a professor of Middle Eastern history at Yale University, emphasized the strategic importance of Mocha Port, noting its proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where the Red Sea meets the Indian Ocean. Blocking this strait would hinder the export of oil produced at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port to Asia and Europe. Additionally, exports from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal would also require passage through this strait. Mocha Port is located about 80 kilometers from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Since the outbreak of the Iran conflict, tensions have escalated between Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, and the Houthi forces backed by Iran. According to Deutsche Welle, Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, lost control of Mocha Port to the Houthis on September 10. The Houthis also captured Perim Island, a strategic location in the middle of the strait, on September 11. Compounding the situation, Saudi Arabia's 1,200-kilometer-long oil pipeline connecting the east and west was shut down following a drone attack, which analysts attribute to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Observers warn that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by Houthi forces could disrupt global oil supply. CNN reported that commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are assisting in the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war between Houthi forces and government troops for over a decade, resulting in a per capita GDP of just $471 (approximately 630,000 won) this year, effectively rendering it a 'failed state,' according to National Interest. There have been international efforts to revive the coffee culture in the Mocha region and provide job opportunities for residents. Initiatives have connected Yemeni coffee farmers with overseas buyers. However, as the war intensifies, the dreams of farmers to restore Mocha's former coffee glory have been dashed, the New York Times reported.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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