The Iran‑backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have warned against joining Saudi Arabia in the country’s expanding civil war, after Washington reached out to them following their rapid advance to the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait earlier this month.
The warning was issued by Mohamed al‑Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, who said the United States had contacted the rebels after their swift push along Yemen’s western coast.
The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of northern Yemen, has been backed by Iran and has been fighting Saudi‑led forces since 2014.
The Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has seen increased Houthi activity as they move closer to the coast.
The rebels’ caution comes amid a broader escalation of the civil war, with both sides seeking external support and the international community monitoring the conflict’s impact on regional stability.
<small>Source: PBS NewsHour — read the original story there.</small>
