Houthis Seize Key Red Sea Port, Escalating Conflict With Saudi Arabia

Houthi forces have captured the port of Mokha and strategic islands near Yemen's Bab el-Mandeb Strait, significantly strengthening their ability to threaten global shipping and escalating the conflict with Saudi Arabia. The advance has prompted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to repeatedly request direct U.S. military strikes against the rebels, a plea that has been rebuffed by the Trump administration. The military gains were accompanied by a Houthi ballistic missile attack aimed at Riyadh on Saturday, which Saudi authorities said was intercepted. The strike prompted a rare early-morning alert for residents to shelter. A tanker bearing the Aramco logo caught fire at a fuel depot near the capital's international airport, though the cause was not immediately confirmed. In a move that complicates the regional dynamics, Houthi officials have assured the United States they will not attack American vessels in the Red Sea, while continuing their campaign against Saudi-linked shipping. Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti stated that the group would continue attacking Saudi Arabia until Riyadh lifted its decade-long blockade on rebel-held areas.