Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked the United States for additional military help after Iranian-backed Houthi forces launched a broad offensive in Yemen. He met Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the U.S. military's Central Command, in Jeddah to discuss the latest regional developments, while Cooper had also met Saudi defense officials over intelligence sharing and munitions. The Houthis seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mokha and the island of Perim, while forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government withdrew from the Hunaish and Zuqar islands. Mohammed also urged President Trump to take military action against the Houthis, but Trump declined. The gains expanded Houthi influence over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a maritime choke point, as Houthi officials threatened Saudi shipping. The developments added to instability from Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, sending Brent crude nearly 4% higher to above $108 a barrel on Monday, about 50% above its prewar level. The fighting has revived Yemen's civil war after a 2022 cease-fire, with Saudi-aligned forces attacking Houthi territory and Houthi forces targeting sites in Saudi Arabia that they describe as military and energy installations.