CNN, citing five sources, reported that more than 100 U.S. military advisers are in Saudi Arabia

CNN, citing five sources, reported that more than 100 U.S. military advisers in Saudi Arabia provide information and targeting support to this country. A U.S. official said the number of these forces is about 200.

These forces operate within a newly established joint command, formed amid signs of increased assistance from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

According to CNN sources, Washington provides Riyadh with location and tool information for real-time observation of the battlefield, but U.S. forces do not directly participate in attacks against the Houthis.

This support is taking place as fighting intensifies and the Houthis advance along the coasts of the Red Sea. On Thursday, 19 Shahrivar, the Houthis captured a strategic port, raising concerns about the security of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

A U.S. official also said Washington believes hundreds of Revolutionary Guards officers are operating in Yemen alongside the Houthis, and their ultimate goal is to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Islamic Republic considers the Houthis an independent group that does not take orders from Tehran.