American weapons in the hands of the Houthis: What did they find after the fall of Mocha?

The war in Yemen witnessed a remarkable development after the Houthis managed to seize control of the city of Mocha and large areas along the western coast. Video footage showed the group seizing a quantity of military equipment left behind by the Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, including American-made armored vehicles.

Video clips released by the Houthis after their entry into Mocha showed fighters alongside military vehicles, armored vehicles, and equipment left behind by government forces and their allied local forces during their withdrawal from the city. Independent media reports confirmed the appearance of Western armored vehicles among the equipment that has now fallen into Houthi possession.

American "Oshkosh" vehicles among the spoils

Among the most prominent equipment that appeared in the recordings were M-ATV mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, produced by the American company Oshkosh. Reports indicated that one of the vehicles seen in Mocha was an M-ATV model, a type of armored vehicle designed to protect forces from improvised explosive devices, mines, and ambushes.

Other reports have also mentioned that the Houthis seized a number of American-made vehicles, as well as trucks equipped with heavy weapons and artillery, and quantities of ammunition and light weapons left behind by the withdrawing forces on the western coast.

The seizure of this weaponry is significant because of its sources. Western vehicles and equipment of this type were part of the arsenal used by the Yemeni forces supported by Saudi Arabia and the UAE during the years of war against the Houthis.

But so far, there is no evidence that this equipment was delivered directly from the United States to the Houthis. The available information indicates that the equipment appeared in the possession of local forces allied with the Yemeni government before the Houthis seized it during their recent advance and the withdrawal of their opponents from Mocha and other areas.

Why does American equipment represent a gain for the Houthis?

The significance of these vehicles is not limited to their military value; controlling them allows the Houthis to benefit from equipment designed primarily to operate in tough combat environments.

This comes at a time when the group has managed to make rapid advances on the western coast and take control of Mocha, before expanding into other locations in Taiz Governorate and seizing Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has strengthened its position near one of the world’s most important maritime passages.

Reuters reports that the Houthi attack on the western coast benefited from Iranian support, which included weapons, funding, and military guidance, helping the group achieve significant territorial gains in a short period.

Saudi Arabia faces a new challenge.

The loss of this equipment constitutes a blow to the Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, which have been forced to withdraw from several positions on the western coast, as they attempt to reorganize their ranks and launch counterattacks to regain the areas they have lost.

This coincided with the escalation of fighting around Taiz, where government forces and Saudi-backed forces began counter-operations against the Houthis, in an attempt to stop their advance towards the roads leading to the Red Sea. The leadership of the government forces acknowledged that the loss of some positions was painful, but pledged to reorganize the forces and return to the fighting.

The greatest danger lies in the fact that Houthi control of Mocha and the surrounding areas comes near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and constitutes one of the most important routes for global trade and energy movement.

Thus, the American equipment that fell into the hands of the Houthis does not merely represent a field loss for the Saudi-backed forces, but also reveals the extent of the collapse that has afflicted some of their positions on the western coast, at a time when the battle in Yemen is once again turning into a broad conflict with repercussions that extend beyond the country’s borders.