The Houthi Shia rebels, supported by Iran, announced they had taken control of Yemen's western coast, expelling Saudi-backed forces from six districts of that region.
This offensive marks a significant victory for the Houthis in the Yemeni civil war, which has been raging for years between the rebels and government forces supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis, who already controlled the capital Sanaa and much of the country's north, are now consolidating their dominance along Yemen's western coast, which includes the strategic port of Hodeida on the Red Sea.
The situation aggravates regional tensions between Iran, which supports the Houthis, and Saudi Arabia, which has been leading military efforts to contain Iranian influence on the Arabian Peninsula.
