Houthis claim hit on Saudi base after renewed fighting with Yemeni forces

Renewed fighting has erupted between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's crown prince called Donald Trump last week requesting US military help against the Houthis, while the US president said his administration also took a call from the Houthis.

Global oil shipping has been put under more strain with the Houthis cementing their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which has become an important waterway for Saudi Arabia amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthi fighters say they have attacked a military base in southern Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles as renewed fighting with Yemen's government forces growing numbers of civilians to flee.

The attack at the southern Sharurah base targeted "weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people", Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree wrote on X.

The date of the operation was not specified. Clashes have increased this week between the Iran-allied Houthis and Yemeni government forces, which are backed by Riyadh.

On Saturday, local time, the government forces said they had struck Houthi fighters in the Red Sea city of Mocha , and later attacked other Houthi positions in the south-western part of the country.

It comes as US news site Axios reported Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had twice called US President Donald Trump to request American strikes on the Houthis last week, but it was rejected.

Three sources also told Reuters the crown prince phoned Mr Trump on Thursday, local time, and asked for US military help. They said Prince Salman was told Washington would not intervene directly for now but would help with intelligence.

Mr Trump confirmed on Saturday that he had spoken to the crown prince, and said the Houthis had also phoned his administration and asked the US not to become directly involved in the conflict.

The ongoing clashes follow a week-long Houthi offensive that culminated in the group capturing the remainder of Yemen's Red Sea coast and several strategic islands , and cementing their hold on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the sea's southern entrance.

The waterway has become an important artery for Saudi Arabian oil exports after Iran largely cut off shipments through the Gulf with its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the Middle East war.

The Houthis have recently declared their own maritime blockade of Riyadh's Red Sea ports.

The government news agency Saba reported on Saturday that Yemeni forces "destroyed vehicles and weapons and killed members of the Houthi terrorist militia" near the port of Mocha, and quoted a spokesman for the forces as saying they had also struck Houthi targets just outside the city.