Members of Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces fire from a tank during what they describe as clashes with the Houthis, in an area they say is near Al-Hazm, Yemen, in this screenshot from a video released on Sept. 9, 2026. (Credit: Yemeni Armed Forces Media Center/Video provided via Reuters)
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group on Thursday took over Yemen's port city of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said.
Mokha is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and through which about 12% of the world's goods are typically shipped.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S President Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
The White House and Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. Reuters reported earlier in July that Saudi Arabia is seeking to build an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, as tensions in and around Yemen continue to escalate.
The escalation dates back to early July, when the Houthis said their forces confronted Saudi warplanes that were attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
According to Axios, the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks, according to the report.
U.S. military and civilian officials have also told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, while avoiding the opening of another military front, Axios added.
Yemen's Houthi rebels reported about 40 airstrikes launched by Saudi forces on Thursday in a fresh salvo following attacks by the Iran-backed group against the kingdom.
"The Saudi enemy's air force conducted around 40 strikes in recent hours in the governorates of Taiz, Hodeida, Al-Jawf and Marib," Houthi news agency Saba said.
Drones and missiles fired by the Houthis targeted infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a day after a major attack by the Yemeni rebels injured 73 people in the kingdom, the Riyadh-led military coalition announced.
Yemen's Houthis close in on Bab el-Mandeb Strait in new threat to shipping