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 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.
The mountain range is important because it lies between the Red Sea coast and government-controlled areas farther south. Control of the heights could give the Houthis a stronger position to maintain their recent territorial gains and pressure government forces. Five Yemeni military sources confirm that the Houthis are seeking to capture the Kahboub Mountains.
On September 20, Rashid al-Alimi, president of Yemen's Saudi-backed and internationally recognized government, spoke to US President Donald Trump by phone and requested US military assistance, according to four sources. Two of those sources, one Yemeni and one Western, said Trump did not directly commit to providing military support during the conversation.
The latest fighting is part of a wider Houthi offensive that has rapidly changed the military situation in western Yemen. The group's gains have also increased concern about the security of one of the world's most important shipping routes. The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
Yemeni journalist and political analyst Mohammed Al-Qadhi said the government forces had been largely on the defensive after losing the Bab el-Mandeb area, while the Houthis were trying to maintain the pace of their advance. The Kahboub Mountains could become an important battlefield in deciding whether the Houthis could strengthen their recent gains or whether government forces could hold enough territory to launch a counterattack.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly sought greater US involvement against the Houthis, but Washington has so far declined to join the Saudi-backed military campaign in Yemen. There was also a report that US 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.
Key points
- The Houthis seek to capture the Kahboub Mountains.
- The mountain range is strategically important.
- The conflict raises concerns about global energy and shipping routes.
