Houthis Push to Seize Strategic Yemen Highlands Along the Coastline

Houthi forces are pushing into strategic highlands between Yemen’s Red Sea and Indian Ocean coasts, seeking control of terrain that could consolidate their recent advance and further restrict Saudi-backed forces in the south.

The fighting has shifted toward the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahij provinces after the Houthis seized much of the Red Sea coast this month, according to five Yemeni military sources.

Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of airstrikes on Houthi positions in the highlands in recent days, according to the group. The attacks have so far failed to stop the advance.

Battle for the Mountain Corridor

Fighting has concentrated around the remote Al-Wazi'iyah district in Taiz and Ras al-Ara on the Indian Ocean coast, between the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Aden, the base of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

The high ground separates Houthi-held coastal territory from areas still controlled by government forces and could shape the next phase of the campaign.

"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," said Mohammed Al-Qadhi, a Yemeni journalist and political analyst.

"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."

The Houthis, who have controlled Yemen’s capital since 2014, routed Saudi-backed forces during their advance along the Red Sea coast earlier this month.

Nearly 700 people have been killed and thousands wounded in the latest fighting, according to the United Nations. Almost 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced inside the country, while more than 3,000 have crossed the Red Sea by boat to Africa.

Trump Reportedly Halted U.S. Strikes

The battlefield escalation came as The New York Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump had halted planned strikes against the Houthis on Sunday shortly before they were due to begin.

The newspaper said U.S. troops were loading bombs onto aircraft when Trump called off the operation following renewed requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. U.S. Central Command referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadh-based president of Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government, also asked Trump by phone on Sunday for U.S. military assistance, four sources told Reuters.

Two of those sources said Trump made no direct commitment during the call.

The U.S. carried out two months of strikes against the Houthis in early 2025 before Trump ended the campaign following a ceasefire agreement. Washington has since remained outside the renewed fighting in Yemen.

Houthi Pressure Extends to Saudi Arabia

The Houthis also said they fired missiles at Riyadh on Saturday, which would mark their first claimed attack on the Saudi capital since the latest escalation began.

Explosions were heard, and smoke was visible near Riyadh airport. Saudi authorities have not commented on the Houthi claim.

The U.K. has agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with defensive air-to-air refueling for a limited period, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday.

A French diplomatic source said Paris was prepared to help protect Saudi energy infrastructure at Yanbu on the Red Sea and along the kingdom’s East-West pipeline corridor.

Oil Routes Under Pressure

The Houthi push carries wider implications for Saudi oil exports because the kingdom has relied on Red Sea routes as an alternative to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia has increased exports through Hormuz as the fighting has spread. Satellite data showed shipments through the strait reaching 2.9mn barrels a day in recent days, compared with 700,000 barrels a day in August.

Traders said Saudi Arabia had sold 60mn barrels for both this month and next, with cargoes scheduled to load off Oman after passing through Hormuz.

The additional supply has helped pull crude prices back toward $100 a barrel after they approached $110 last week.

Shipping risks remain elevated. Britain’s UKMTO maritime security agency said a vessel entering Hormuz had been hit by a projectile, causing minor crew injuries, and reported an earlier strike on a gas tanker.

Diplomatic efforts elsewhere in the conflict have made little progress since an interim U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreed in June collapsed within weeks.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to travel to New York on Tuesday for the UN General Assembly.