US-Iran War Expands to Yemen as Houthi Fighters Escalate Attacks on Saudi Arabia

The US-Iran war has opened another front in West Asia, with Iran-backed Houthi fighters pushing deeper into Yemen and escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia as Riyadh seeks US support against the group. Houthi fighters are pushing to seize strategic heights in southern Yemen that could cut off the Red Sea coast from areas held by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, after US President Donald Trump reportedly called off planned strikes against the group at the last minute. The strategic Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahij provinces separate the Red Sea coast from government-held areas further south. Iran-backed Houthi fighters have escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, launching missiles and drones while expanding their territorial control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh on Saturday. Reuters footage showed a large plume of smoke near King Khalid International Airport, while FlightRadar24 reported major delays and cancellations at the airport. Air-raid alerts were issued in Riyadh on Saturday, the first such alerts in the Saudi capital since tensions with the Houthis flared in July. “Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly,” the State Department’s statement added. Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, said Washington was in constant communication with the Houthis and that the rebel group has agreed not to fight with the US. The Republican leader further added that he was in a “deciding mode” on what to do in the larger war with Iran, which is closing in on its seventh month. The US President, last week, said the Houthis had called America and “they don’t want to fight with us,” adding, “They would much prefer not having us involved, and they’re letting most ships go through.” Trump said Washington had been in contact with the Houthis and that the group did not want to fight the US. The Houthis have rapidly expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, routing Saudi-backed government forces from several positions and advancing towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. The advance matters beyond Yemen because Bab al-Mandab is a key route for shipping between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on its Red Sea export route after disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. The development also matters to India because disruptions at both Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb put pressure on the sea routes used to move Middle Eastern energy to Asian markets. S&P Global has identified India and China among the Asian oil importers particularly exposed to simultaneous disruptions at the two chokepoints. Houthi rebels are part of Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ and align with other militant groups like Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Gaza-based Hamas. It was formed in opposition to Israel, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Houthis have said that it fights against the interference of the US, Israel, and other Western-aligned forces in the Middle East.