The Iran-backed militia’s ground offensive has reached the Bab al-Mandab, a Red Sea strait that is a choke point for global trade.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia has seized a strategic Red Sea island, according to two Yemeni government officials, as part of its offensive to control a crucial choke point for global trade.

The Lebanese city of Tyre, one of the oldest metropolises in the world, has been left scarred.

Houthi militants seized the city of Mokha from Yemeni government forces, two Yemeni officials said on Thursday. The capture gives the Iran-backed militia leverage over a key shipping route.

The Iran-backed militia routed Yemeni government forces in Mokha, putting the group in a stronger position to attack ships in a crucial waterway for global trade.

With its oil-export routes once again under threat, Saudi Arabia is stepping up its military campaign against an old antagonist.

The Iranian government is taking an increasingly aggressive approach as it confronts a growing economic threat and worries that its grip on the Strait of Hormuz is slipping, analysts say.

President Trump said a cease-fire agreed in June would lead to limits on Iran’s nuclear program and finish the conflict, but the countries appear far apart.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment of hard-line loyalists to top jobs suggests he is prepared to keep the country on a war footing and to quash domestic dissent.