# Trump halts strikes as Houthis seize Yemen heights

> US president cancels airstrikes on Iran-aligned group after Saudi pleas, as fighters advance toward Red Sea chokepoint.
- Title: Trump halts strikes as Houthis seize Yemen heights | Shortify
- Summary: US president cancels airstrikes on Iran-aligned group after Saudi pleas, as fighters advance toward Red Sea chokepoint. Donald Trump called off US airstrikes…
- Keywords: houthis, yemen, donald trump, saudi arabia, red sea, bab al-mandab, airstrikes, middle east conflict, news, world, Trump, halts
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/21/houthis-seize-strategic-terrain-yemen-trump-calls-off-airstrikes-last-minute
- Published: 2026-09-21T16:14:38+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: houthis, yemen, donald trump, saudi arabia, red sea, bab al-mandab, airstrikes, middle east conflict, news, world
## Trump cancels strikes at last minute
Donald Trump called off US airstrikes on Houthi fighters as bombs were being loaded on to aircraft, reportedly after Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman pleaded for assistance.
## Houthis advance on strategic heights
Houthi fighters are moving to seize strategic heights in Yemen that would cut the Red Sea coast off from areas held by Saudi-backed forces, advancing toward the crucial Bab al-Mandab strait.
## Trump sends mixed signals to Riyadh
Trump told reporters the Houthis called and do not want to fight the US, adding they are allowing ships to pass the Bab al-Mandab strait and the situation would work out very well.

> the Houthis "called us, and they don't want to fight us"
## Tens of thousands displaced by fighting
The UN says hostilities in Yemen have displaced at least one hundred twenty-five thousand people since the start of September. Taiz city has received the largest number, taking in up to eighty-six thousand Yemenis.
## Yemen's president requests military support
Yemeni president Rashad al-Alimi spoke to Trump on Sunday requesting support for his UN-recognised government in its fight against the Houthis. Trump made no direct pledge of military support during the call.
## Saudi strikes fail to slow Houthi advance
Saudi Arabia has launched hundreds of strikes in recent days on Houthi positions in the strategic Kahboub mountains, but making little impact on the advance of its fighters toward Aden.
## Houthis aim to control mountain passes
Fighting has centred on the outskirts of Al-Wazi'iyah district in Taiz province and Ras al-Ara along the Indian Ocean coast. The Houthis aim to secure the rear of their forces around the Bab al-Mandab strait by taking control of the mountains.
## Trump faces dilemma over Gulf allies
Trump is under pressure to help defend Saudi Arabia but anxious not to expand the deeply unpopular war he launched in February against Iran, risking the alienation of key US allies in the Gulf.
## Key takeaway

Donald Trump called off US airstrikes on Houthi fighters at the last minute, allowing the Iran-aligned group to advance on strategic terrain in Yemen that controls access to the Red Sea and global oil routes.