Key facts
- Houthi fighters are advancing across western Yemen, aiming to seize strategic heights near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
- US President Donald Trump reportedly called off planned US airstrikes against the Houthis at the last minute.
- Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi spoke with Trump, requesting support, but received no direct pledge of military aid.
- The UN reports at least 125,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since September due to hostilities.
- Saudi-led coalition aircraft conducted strikes in Yemen's Taiz province amid the Houthi advance.
Houthi fighters are advancing across western Yemen, aiming to seize strategic heights that would cut off the Red Sea coast from areas held by Saudi-backed forces. This push follows US President Donald Trump reportedly calling off planned airstrikes against the group at the last minute, even as bombs were being loaded onto aircraft. The United Nations has reported that hostilities in Yemen have displaced at least 125,000 people since the start of September, with Taiz city receiving the largest number of displaced persons.
President Trump spoke with Yemen's President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday, who requested support for his UN-recognized government in its fight against the Houthis. However, sources indicated that Trump made no direct pledge of military support during the call. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had also implored Trump to intervene to halt the Houthi advance. The US had previously bombed Houthis for two months in early 2025, but Trump called off those strikes after a ceasefire and has since remained out of the conflict.
Saudi Arabia has conducted numerous strikes on Houthi positions in the Kahboub mountains, but these have reportedly had little impact on the fighters' advance. Fighting has been concentrated near the Al-Wazi’iyah district in Taiz province and Ras al-Ara along the Indian Ocean coast, with the Houthis seeking to secure their rear around the Bab al-Mandab strait. The rapid advance by the Iran-aligned group has extended the wider Middle East conflict and further threatened global energy supplies.