Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met the head of the US military’s Central Command in Jeddah on Monday as a rapid Houthi advance in Yemen heightened concern over security in the region and global energy markets.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who oversees US military operations in the Middle East, held talks with Prince Mohammed on what Saudi state media described as “the latest regional developments”. Central Command did not immediately comment.
Admiral Cooper had begun discussions with Saudi defence officials late last week about intelligence sharing and munitions, according to two people familiar with his visit.
Houthi advance raises pressure on Saudi Arabia
The meeting came as diplomacy between the Trump administration and Iran over ending the conflict remained stalled. The war, which began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, has widened with the opening of a new front in Yemen.
The Houthis, who control much of north-western Yemen, seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha and the island of Perim last week. Forces allied to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, also withdrew from the Hunaish and Zuqar islands, according to Yemeni officials.
The territorial gains have increased Houthi influence over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime passage in the Red Sea. Houthi officials have vowed to block Saudi shipping there, threatening another important route for global oil shipments.
Prince Mohammed spoke with Donald Trump about the escalation last week and urged the United States to take military action against the Houthis, officials familiar with the conversations said. Mr Trump told him he was not willing to do so, they said.
The renewed fighting has revived Yemen’s civil war, which had been largely quiet since a ceasefire in 2022. Saudi-aligned forces have attacked Houthi territory, while Houthi forces have repeatedly fired at sites in Saudi Arabia that they say are military and energy installations.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence service issued alerts on Monday for the southern cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha, warning of incoming attacks. No casualties were reported.
Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf since the US-Israeli attack in late February, causing energy prices to rise. Brent crude, the global benchmark, climbed by almost 4 per cent on Monday to more than 108 US dollars a barrel, about 50 per cent above its pre-war level.
