WASHINGTON: Don't escalate war, US tells Houthi rebels!

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

• The remarks were made after the rebels attacked a Saudi oil tanker.

The White House is calling on Yemen's Houthi rebels to "cease further escalation" after a Saudi-led coalition battling the rebels said the rebels attacked a Saudi oil tanker.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday that the United States is "very concerned about the Houthis' latest attempt to escalate the war in Yemen".

Sanders said: "We call on the Houthis to cease further escalation and demonstrate their commitment to a peace process by engaging in constructive dialogue."