Mohamed Elmasry, a media-studies professor at the Doha Graduate School, said the
Houthi capture and hold of the Red Sea port of Mocha shows they have developed
strong combat capabilities in recent years and may be more advanced than the
opponents Saudi Arabia faced a decade ago. He said the Houthis not only field
capable ground fighters but have received weapons from Iran in recent years and
now possess air-defence systems plus an impressive missile and drone arsenal,
and that government forces are in retreat. Elmasry added the Houthis are
exploiting regional distraction from US and Israeli operations targeting Iran;
despite substantial Iranian backing, he said the movement is not simply an
Iranian proxy and maintains distinct domestic grievances and an independent
civil-war agenda.
