Houthis Advance in Yemen Highlands as US Weighs Support

News Desk
DUBAI: Houthi fighters launched a strategic offensive on Monday to seize vital highland territories in Yemen, aiming to sever the Red Sea coastline from remaining sectors controlled by Saudi-backed government forces.
The escalation unfolds amid reports that US President Donald Trump recently aborted planned airstrikes against the group, complicating international security dynamics across the critical global waterway.
According to sources familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi held a telephone conversation with President Trump on Sunday.
During the talks, Alimi formally requested robust US military assistance to combat the advancing insurgent forces. The Houthis had earlier executed a rapid offensive this month, successfully capturing key territories along the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.
Despite the urgent appeals from the internationally recognized Yemeni administration, Western and regional sources confirmed that President Trump stopped short of offering any direct military commitments during the discussion. Representatives for the White House and Yemen’s information ministry have so far declined to issue formal comments regarding the high-stakes diplomatic contact.
The sudden territorial gains by the Houthi movement threaten to expand the broader Middle East geopolitical conflict into a volatile new theater.
Observers note that uninterrupted control over the highlands and coastal choke points could severely disrupt maritime trade routes through the Red Sea, prompting international stakeholders to closely monitor the deteriorating security landscape.