Iran-backed Houthi forces launched a broad offensive in Yemen, seizing the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha and Perim Island while government-aligned forces withdrew from the Hunaish and Zuqar islands. The gains expanded Houthi influence over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and prompted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to seek additional U.S. military assistance. He met U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper in Jeddah after discussions on intelligence sharing and munitions, and urged President Donald Trump to authorize action against the Houthis; Trump declined. Houthi officials threatened Saudi shipping as Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz added to energy-market instability, sending Brent crude nearly 4% higher to above $108 a barrel, about 50% above its prewar level. Israel raised naval readiness, Somali businesses sought alternative import routes and Saudi Arabia diverted crude through Red Sea ports before shutting an attacked pipeline. The escalation ended a ceasefire that had largely halted Yemen’s civil war since 2022, while the International Organization for Migration reported more than 85,000 displacements since the beginning of the month, including more than 2,000 people who reached Djibouti.