Anti-Houthi forces retreat in Yemen as Iran strikes Bahrain

Iran and its allies ramped up pressure on the US and allied Gulf states on two fronts on Sunday, with Saudi-backed forces retreating in their battle against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen and Iran itself firing drones at US bases in Bahrain.



In Yemen, Saudi Arabia's campaign against the Houthis suffered a major setback, as its allies, fighting on behalf of the internationally recognised Yemeni government, pulled back from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to defend their temporary capital Aden on the southern coast.



The announcement signalled the apparent end of a six-week government counteroffensive to drive the Houthis from the mouth of the Red Sea to secure a key oil route.



Meanwhile, Iranian attacks on Bahrain, headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in the Gulf, were likely to put new pressure onUS President Donald Trump to resolve the war he launched nearly nine months ago.