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#非洲
Why the Houthis are fighting for Yemen’s Kahboub Mountains
原文原文 / Original Textplay Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftIranIran’s ‘axis’ in disarrayWill Gulf states join war?Iran’s weaponsWho's in charge in Iran?caret-rightANALYSISN
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoSupporters of the Houthi authorities brandish weapons in Sanaa, Yemen, on September 18, 2026, and hold placards showing the Kaaba in Mecca that read, 'For it, we willingly offer our souls,' during a protest against the Saudi intervention in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia's recent accusation that the Houthis fired on Mecca [AFP]By Caolán MageePublished On 22 Sep 202622 Sep 2026The Houthis are attempting to push into the Kahboub Mountains a
The renewed fighting in recent months with forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government has brought an end to the relative calm that had largely held since 2022. In recent days, the conflict has moved into the rugged highlands overlooking the approaches to Bab al-Mandeb, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The strait connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and its importance is only growing as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the Houthis’ main ally: Iran.
Experts said taking the high ground would help the Houthis defend the newly captured coastline and make it far harder for government forces to push them back. While the mountains may not necessarily be used as a launchpad for attacks on ships, controlling them would provide defensive depth and cover for Houthi positions closer to the coast, making missile and drone operations in the Red Sea easier to sustain and harder to disrupt.
The Houthis have said they do not intend to target United States shipping and attacks would be limited to vessels linked to Saudi Arabia. But the group has repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea in previous years, including vessels with no clear connection to its stated targets.
The Houthi advance has taken on added urgency after The New York Times reported that US President Donald Trump came close to ordering air attacks against the Houthis on Sunday, only to call them off at the last minute. Britain, meanwhile, said it will support Saudi Arabia with defensive refuelling.
Kahboub, a mountainous region spanning parts of the Lahj and Taiz governorates in southern Yemen, derives much of its strategic importance from its proximity to Bab al-Mandeb. Some of its heights lie about 40km (25 miles) from the waterway, providing commanding views across a stretch of the Red Sea, through which a significant share of global maritime trade and millions of barrels of oil pass each day.
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来源：Al Jazeera Africa (https://www.aljazeera.com/africa/)
原文链接：https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/22/why-are-the-houthis-fighting-for-yemens-kahboub-mountains?traffic_source=rss
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发表于 2026-9-18 16:51:53