President Donald Trump twice on Thursday (September 10, 2026) and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S.
Mr.
Trump rejected the request, and U.S. officials said the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis at this time, the report said.
Control of Dhubab and Perim is key to gaining hold of the strait, government sources told Reuters. “Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday,” the official said, referring to an island also known as Perim that divides the strait into two shipping lanes. The Iran-backed Houthis reached the Yemeni town of Dhubab which sits directly on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait across from the island of Perim, two Yemeni government sources told Reuters on Friday. Saudi Arabia launched two strikes on Friday targeting the airport of the strategic city of Mocha, now under Houthi control, according to the group’s Al-Masirah TV channel. Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthis seized control of the Red Sea port city on Thursday after launching a large-scale offensive last week against Riyadh-backed Yemeni government forces. Iran-aligned Houthi militants reached Yemen’s strategic Perim Island at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait early on Friday after government forces withdrew, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters .
