Houthis Say They Fired Missiles at Riyadh as Yemen Forces Retreat

"This step is taken based on the priority of securing the capital, Aden, and the neighbouring governorates, as well as strengthening the front lines and addressing existing threats," the spokesman said.

The retreat leaves the Houthis in control of the area overlooking the strait. They already hold much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and the country's most populous areas.

Why the strait matters

Bab el Mandeb is one of the world's busiest routes for seaborne goods and commodities. It carries much of the trade from Asia to Europe through Egypt's Suez Canal.

Control of the area hands the Houthis more leverage over that traffic. Iran continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. The dual squeeze would further cut Gulf oil producers off from their main shipping routes.

Attacks on Saudi targets

The Houthis have also claimed other strikes on Saudi Arabia. They said earlier that they hit a pumping station on the kingdom's East-West oil pipeline, an oil facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu and an Aramco building in Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two Houthi drones, one in the Riyadh region and another in the Eastern Province. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pipeline claim.

Houthi attacks have killed eight people in Yemen, according to reports.

The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca.