Yemen asked US to provide military support against defiant Houthis. Trump baulked

Donald Trump spoke with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi as Houthi forces advanced near Bab el-Mandeb. The call underscored mounting pressure on Washington even as diplomacy with Iran remained stalled.

In Short

• Al-Alimi sought US backing as fighting intensified around key coastal positions
• Washington remained cautious despite pressure from Saudi Arabia and Yemeni authorities
• Houthi fighters moved towards Kahboub Mountains to cement recent territorial gains

Amid widening war in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday as the Iran-backed Houthis continued their advance around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

According to news agency Reuters, Al-Alimi used the call to seek US military support for his Saudi-backed government in its fight against the Houthis, who have seized key areas near the strategic waterway in a rapid offensive this month. However, Trump did not make a direct commitment to provide military backing.

The call was made amid growing pressure from Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the Trump administration to intervene against the Houthis. The US is already engaged in the war with Iran and Trump has so far shown reluctance to deepen Washington's military role in Yemen.

TRUMP HOLDS BACK ON MILITARY SUPPORT

Trump has previously said Washington is in contact with the Houthis and that the group had indicated it would not target US shipping.

The Houthis are designated as a terrorist organisation by the US. However, Trump has also resisted calls for direct US military involvement in the latest escalation, despite repeated requests from Saudi Arabia. Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had reportedly urged Trump to provide military support against the Houthis.

The latest call between Trump and al-Alimi therefore took place at a sensitive moment. The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared airstrikes against the Houthis on Sunday following fresh appeals from the Saudi crown prince. But Trump called off the planned strikes at the last minute, even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft.

HOUTHIS PUSH INTO STRATEGIC HIGHLANDS

The Houthis, who have controlled Yemen's capital since 2014, have expanded their presence along the Red Sea coast in a lightning offensive that routed forces aligned with the Saudi-backed government. The group is now seeking to seize strategic high ground that could help it consolidate its recent territorial gains and isolate government-held areas farther south.

Reuters reported that Houthi fighters are attempting to capture the Kahboub Mountains across Taiz and Lahij provinces. The mountains are strategically located between the Red Sea coast and areas controlled by the internationally recognised government.

Fighting has been reported around the remote Al-Wazi'iyah district in Taiz province and Ras al-Ara along the coast between the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Aden, the main base of the Saudi-backed government.

"The government forces appear to remain largely in a defensive posture following the loss of the Bab el-Mandeb area, while the Houthis are seeking to maintain the momentum of their advance, despite being exposed to intensive air strikes," Mohammed Al-Qadhi, a veteran Yemeni journalist and political analyst, told Reuters.

"These mountains could become critical to determining whether the Houthis succeed in consolidating their recent territorial gains or whether government forces will be able to retain the positions necessary to mount a counteroffensive."

According to the United Nations, nearly 700 people have been killed and thousands injured since the latest fighting intensified. Nearly 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced within the country, while more than 3,000 people have crossed the Red Sea by boat into Africa.

Saudi Arabia has carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi positions in the highlands in recent days, according to the Houthis.

DIPLOMACY REMAINS STALLED

The developments in Yemen are unfolding alongside a diplomatic impasse between Washington and Tehran.

Efforts to resolve the wider conflict have largely stalled since a June interim agreement between the United States and Iran collapsed within weeks. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to travel to New York on Tuesday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, creating a potential opportunity for renewed diplomatic contact.

Trump has said he is open to meeting Pezeshkian during the UN gathering, although no meeting has been confirmed.

- Ends
With inputs from agenices