US official: Trump postponed a planned strike against the Houthis

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An American official revealed, on Monday, that President Donald Trump considered launching a military strike against the Houthis in Yemen last weekend, before he decided to postpone it.

The official explained that the strike was scheduled for the end of last week, but Trump took the decision to postpone it, without revealing the reasons for the decision or a possible date for reconsidering its implementation.

These developments came amid an accelerating military escalation in Yemen, after widespread confrontations between the Houthis and forces affiliated with the internationally recognized Yemeni government, and the end of the state of calm that had reduced the intensity of the fighting since 2022, according to the American Associated Press.

In recent weeks, the map of control in Yemen has witnessed changes, and back and forth between government forces and the Houthi militia, after the Houthis advanced on the western coast and took control of the coastal city of Mokha and other strategic sites, including Mayon Island, located at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

However, government forces succeeded in directing strong and effective strikes against the Houthis during the past days.

These areas gain special importance because of their location overlooking Bab al-Mandab, one of the most prominent sea lanes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, which has raised concerns about the security of navigation and international trade movement.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government forces announced the regrouping of their ranks, confirming their intention to return to the west coast and regain the areas they lost during the recent confrontations. Areas in Taiz Governorate also witnessed strikes targeting Houthi sites.

The internal escalation coincided with the return of tension to the Red Sea, amid attempted Houthi attacks on areas in Saudi Arabia and threats related to navigation in the region. On Sunday, a Houthi official said that his group informed the Trump administration that it would not target American ships in the Red Sea.

On the ground, the renewed fighting has affected the humanitarian situation, as UN estimates indicate that tens of thousands have been displaced since the beginning of September, while more than two thousand Yemenis have crossed into Djibouti, amid a fuel crisis that hinders more civilians from leaving the combat areas.