The Houthis are a Yemeni Islamist paramilitary organization controlling northwestern Yemen including Sana'a. Known for their Iran-backed insurgency, Red Sea shipping attacks, and sustained missile and drone campaigns against Israel and Saudi Arabia. Recently, the Houthis have escalated strikes on Saudi airports, threatened Bab el-Mandeb closure, and continued missile launches toward Israel. Last updated 22 hours ago
Houthi Defense Minister Al-Atifi warned Saudi Arabia and its allies of reciprocal strikes on airports and ports if the blockade on Yemen continues, claiming the Houthis now have the capabilities to enforce it.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it received a report of an illegal boarding involving a vessel about 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden.
According to military authorities, unauthorized personnel boarded the vessel while it was transiting eastbound. The incident is under investigation.
UKMTO is advising ships in the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
A senior source in the Houthis' Ministry of Defense told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese al-Mayadeen channel that Israeli warplanes participated alongside Saudi forces in an attempt to repel the Yemeni attack on Saudi Arabia, following th...
A senior source in the Houthis' Ministry of Defense told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese al-Mayadeen channel that Israeli warplanes participated alongside Saudi forces in an attempt to repel the Yemeni attack on Saudi Arabia, following the strike on Sana'a airport.
The source described them as Gulfstream aircraft, designed for listening, communications and information gathering. According to the source, the planes flew out of Nevatim base and operated over the Red Sea.
Their role was tracking the launches and drones fired from Yemen and determining their location.
Leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, on Saudi Arabia:
They attacked Sana'a airport and targeted it. In broad daylight, they started their aggression.
They had absolutely no justification, and it had nothing to do with them. W...
Leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, on Saudi Arabia:
They attacked Sana'a airport and targeted it. In broad daylight, they started their aggression.
They had absolutely no justification, and it had nothing to do with them. We hadn't done anything.
They attack us, target us, and expect us to do nothing?
The real equation is this: you struck Sana'a, we must strike Riyadh. If you strike a port, we will strike your port. If you blockade us, we will blockade you.
Why do you want to blockade us, starve us, and deny us the right to use our own oil and gas wealth?
Why do you want us to writhe in hunger, leaving pain and suffering in every single home?
When Saudi Arabia commits an act of aggression, we will no longer just accept it.
They are in the wrong, they are oppressors, and they are aggressors.
BREAKING: Yemen's Houthi Leader: All Saudi oil and vital facilities would be targets for group's missiles if Riyadh gets involved in comprehensive aggression against Yemen and escalates.
If the Houthis decide to close the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a wild scenario would be Saudi Arabia and Israel working together, alongside the U.S., to reopen it.
THE TELEGRAPH: The Houthis are preparing to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping route.
A closure would force ships to reroute around Africa, mirroring Iran's approach to the Strait of Hormuz. The group has not acted yet, reportedly waiting for the right moment as part of a broader Iranian pressure campaign against the US and its allies.
JUST IN: After disrupting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is now signaling it could use Yemen’s Houthis to threaten the Bab el Mandeb, opening another front against the U.S. and putting 2 of the world’s most important maritime energy routes at risk. - Reuters
Airlines have been warned by the Houthis to stay out of Saudi airspace until the Sana'a airport blockade is lifted, a threat issued after Saudi Arabia's missile strike on the airport yesterday.
U.S. President Donald Trump gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) his support for a highly unusual military action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, U.S. officials said. (N12)
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree: "In response to Saudi aggression, we struck Abha airport with missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia started the aggression and bears full responsibility for the consequences."
Saree warned airlines not to fly through Saudi airspace until the siege on Sanaa airport is lifted.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: We might be witnessing a major escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
This comes after reports that Saudi Arabia bombed Houthi controlled Sana’a International Airport in an apparent attempt to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
The Houthis have vowed to retaliate. That could include strikes on Saudi infrastructure, including oil facilities.
