Houthis and Saudi-backed forces clash over strategic Yemeni mountains as displacement grows

Fighting intensified in Yemen as Houthi rebels battled Saudi-backed government forces for control of strategic mountains near the Red Sea, with the group's leader warning the US against direct military involvement. The clashes follow a report that President Donald Trump called off planned air strikes against the Houthis at the last minute on Sunday. The Houthis, who seized Yemen's Red Sea coast this month including the port of Mocha, are now fighting for the Kahboub Mountains in Taiz and Lahj provinces, which overlook the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Mayyun Island. Control would allow them to sever the coast from government-held south. The renewed hostilities have killed at least 674 people and displaced more than 158,000, according to officials. The New York Times reported Trump prepared to launch air attacks after pleas from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman but reversed course even as troops loaded bombs. Analysts cited US reluctance for new military commitments in a region where forces are stretched thin. The conflict is also driving hunger, with over 18 million Yemenis facing acute food insecurity.