"On Friday, the chiefs of staff of the armed forces of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan met in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, within the framework of the Mecca Agreement for Joint Defense, to discuss security developments and threats facing the Kingdom..." (Al Jazeera, 26/9/2026). This meeting remained undisclosed until the Houthis seized control of all or most of Yemen's western coast without any intervention from Saudi Arabia or even America. In fact, Trump declared that the Houthis had promised not to attack American ships in the Red Sea, and therefore the US would not intervene! And so it was. For days, the Houthis have been advancing easily on the western coast. On 11/9/2026, it was announced that the Houthi group had completed its control of Bab al-Mandab during an offensive that lasted only a few days. The group managed to seize Hays, al-Khawkhah, al-Mukha and its port, reaching Bab al-Mandab and Mayyun Island (Perim).