Houthis expand grip near Bab el

RIYADH/DUBAI: Fighting in Yemen has intensified as Houthi forces move to capture strategic mountain positions that could help them cut off the Red Sea coast from territory still controlled by Saudi-backed government forces. The Iran-aligned Houthis have made a rapid advance across parts of Yemen this month, opening a new front in the wider Middle East conflict and raising further concerns about threats to global energy and shipping routes. The developments came after a report that U. S. President Donald Trump canceled planned airstrikes against the Houthis at the last minute on September 20, despite a request for military support from Saudi Arabia. The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets following fresh appeals from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The newspaper said Trump later ordered the strikes to be called off while U. S. troops were loading bombs onto aircraft. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. On September 20, Rashid al-Alimi, president of Yemen's Saudi-backed and internationally recognized government, spoke to Trump by phone and requested U. S. military assistance, four sources told Reuters. Two of those sources, one Yemeni and one Western, said Trump did not directly commit to providing military support during the conversation. The Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Their latest offensive has seen them capture parts of the country's Red Sea coast after defeating forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government. The group is now seeking to expand its control further inland by capturing the Kahboub Mountains, a strategically important area in the provinces of Taiz and Lahij, according to five Yemeni military sources. The mountain range is important because it lies between the Red Sea coast and government-controlled areas farther south.