Middle East reporter Samy Magdy unveiled Iran’s more direct role in Yemen’s Houthis successful bid to control Bab el Mandeb, a strategic waterway that links Europe to Asia, opening a new front in the US-Iran conflict.
With contacts built over years with the Houthis, Magdy was able to get corroboration for the direct involvement of Iranian advisers in fighting at all levels. Magdy also gathered testimonies from fighters on the battlefield, as well as residents, who corroborated accounts of the chaotic withdrawal from the city of Mokha, which enabled the Houthis to secure one of their biggest and most strategic land grabs in years.
Magdy collaborated with regional enterprise editor Lee Keath, Aden-based reporter Ahmed al-Haj, Middle East News Director Victoria Eastwood and Beirut-based Sarah El Deeb to give a detailed account of the 48 hours that led to the capture of the coastal area and confirm details about Iranian involvement in the battle. Interactive artist Will Jarrett contributed to the storytelling by building a detailed map that visualised the rebels’ advance.
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