CENTCOM Chief Arrives in Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Gains in Yemen

US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to coordinate a potential response to Yemen's Houthi rebels seizing control of key ports and waterways.

The Houthis, backed by Iran, have been making rapid gains in recent days, capturing the Red Sea port city of Mocha and Perim Island, which lies at the mouth of the Red Sea.

This development puts them in a position to control the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, a critical economic waterway through which much of Arab states' oil and gas exports have been routed since Iran began attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US war with Iran.