Sandego.net – An A f up of epic proportions is how critics describe the rapid collapse of defenses along Yemen’s western coast, where Iran-backed Houthi forces seized Mocha and then captured Perim Island near the entrance to the Red Sea. The swift advance has raised fresh doubts about Saudi-backed military support and intensified concern over the wider regional confrontation involving Iran and the United States.

Yemeni military officials appealed for air support on Thursday morning as Houthi fighters advanced toward Mocha. Saudi Arabia, the principal ally of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, was asked to intervene while the offensive accelerated.…