Updated

Yemeni government forces and allied groups have targeted Houthi positions as well as a Saudi military base, even as the United States rules out direct military involvement in the fighting. Saudi Arabia has requested missile defence support from allies after its coalition reported strikes, and the Trump administration has now approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a deal that still requires congressional approval, as Riyadh seeks additional US support in its war against the Houthis. The conflict's humanitarian toll is also mounting, with Yemenis fleeing across the Bab el-Mandeb strait to Djibouti in surging numbers. Djibouti has appealed to the international community for humanitarian assistance to cope with the refugee influx, underscoring the widening regional fallout from the escalating Battle for Marib.