{"id":609779,"date":"2026-09-08T16:32:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T16:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/609779\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T16:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T16:32:12","slug":"saudi-houthi-fighting-in-yemen-escalates-what-happened-and-whats-next-houthis-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/609779\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi-Houthi fighting in Yemen escalates: What happened, and what\u2019s next? | Houthis News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yemen\u2019s Houthi group has carried out attacks in southern Saudi Arabia<\/a>, with Riyadh saying that dozens of people have been wounded, as\u00a0fighting between the Iran-aligned group and pro-Saudi forces in Yemen sharply escalates.<\/p>\n

The Houthis on Tuesday said they targeted Saudi energy sites belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in southern areas, with the group\u2019s military spokesperson calling it \u201ca broad operation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n

Saudi authorities confirmed attacks on several facilities and installations related to the energy sector in the south of the country, vowing a firm response. Riyadh also accused the Houthis of wounding at least 73 people in the attacks.<\/p>\n

The conflict between the Yemeni armed group and Saudi Arabia is unfolding as the Houthis are currently fighting Yemen\u2019s Riyadh-backed internationally recognised government, which announced that it was launching counteroffensives against Houthi-held positions across several provinces on Monday.<\/p>\n

The renewed hostilities are the most serious since a United Nations-brokered truce halted large-scale fighting in 2022, after eight years of a full-blown conflict that killed tens of thousands of people in one of the world\u2019s poorest countries.<\/p>\n

The escalation also comes as the strategic importance of Yemen\u2019s Bab al-Mandeb Strait grows amid Iran\u2019s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for global oil and gas supplies.<\/p>\n

The Houthis have sought to advance towards the vital Red Sea shipping route, while government forces say their campaign ultimately aims to retake the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa.<\/p>\n

So what do we know about the latest fighting, and what comes next?<\/p>\n

How did the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis unfold?<\/p>\n

The Houthis on Monday said Saudi Arabia launched multiple attacks on Houthi-held areas.<\/p>\n

The group said Saudi attacks using aircraft and cruise missiles struck al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Marib and Taiz provinces.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an air strike on a prison in al-Hazm, the capital of al-Jawf, killing seven people and injuring seven others. Riyadh did not immediately comment on the attacks.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the Houthis claimed to have shot down Saudi reconnaissance drones over al-Jawf and al-Bayda.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Major-General Turki al-Malki, the Saudi spokesman for the Riyadh-led coalition in Yemen, said the Houthis carried out attacks on the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran, injuring at least 73 people, among them women and children.<\/p>\n

According to a statement from Saudi Arabia\u2019s Energy Ministry, the strikes also triggered fires at multiple oil installations and utility sites across the kingdom\u2019s southern provinces.<\/p>\n

Southern Saudi Arabia is home to key oil infrastructure, including the Jizan refinery, one of the kingdom\u2019s largest, with the capacity to process 400,000 barrels of crude per day.<\/p>\n

Shortly after, the Houthis announced that they had targeted Saudi energy infrastructure operated by oil giant Aramco in the south using drones and ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n

The group\u2019s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the attacks were retaliation for recent Saudi attacks on Houthi-controlled areas across Yemen. Later on Tuesday,\u00a0 Houthi-affiliated media Al Maisrah said Saudi forces had targeted the Al-Jubah district in Marib in the Houthi-controlled part of Yemen.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia\u2019s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud said the kingdom \u201cstrongly condemns\u201d the Houthis\u2019 attacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houthis choose to prioritise their narrow interests over the interests of Yemen and resort to violence,\u201d Prince Faisal said in a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.<\/p>\n

However, Prince Faisal said diplomacy is still possible with the Houthis to end the fighting after heavy strikes on the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe road to diplomacy is not closed,\u201d he said. \u201cSaudi Arabia will always support diplomatic solutions, but the kingdom will never hesitate to defend itself and its interests. We will use every tool to do our job and our duties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is this escalation taking place now?<\/p>\n

A key focus of the fighting is the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.<\/p>\n

The Houthis declared a blockade against Saudi shipping in July. The Houthis have also pushed towards government-held areas near al-Makha (Mocha) and territory bordering the Bab al-Mandeb Strait amid reinforcements and counteroffensives from government forces.<\/p>\n

The strait\u2019s strategic importance has increased dramatically because Iran\u2019s restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz have forced Saudi Arabia to rely more heavily on its Red Sea export route. Between March and mid-July, Saudi seaborne crude exports through Bab al-Mandeb were eight times higher than during the same period in 2025.<\/p>\n

In 2024, about 4.1 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passed through the strait daily on average \u2013 about 5 percent of the global total.<\/p>\n

\"InternallyInternally displaced Yemeni women, who fled their homes with their families due to renewed clashes between Yemen\u2019s Saudi-backed government forces and the country\u2019s Houthi fighters, carry jerrycans after seeking shelter in al-Makha, on the Red Sea coast of Yemen, on September 7, 2026 [AFP]<\/p>\n

Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the strait holds importance \u201cwhen we look at the Houthis\u2019 broader strategy\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe move towards the western coast is not only about gaining territory on the ground. It also has a maritime dimension,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houthis have already linked their military campaign to the Red Sea and the shipping routes around Bab al-Mandeb. So gaining more control over the \u2026 western coast could give them greater depth and allow them to sustain pressure on maritime traffic in the Red Sea. In that sense, the ground offensive and their maritime campaign are closely connected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest escalation also follows fighting that resumed in July after an Iranian aircraft attempted to land in Sanaa without Saudi authorisation, followed by strikes on Sanaa airport and Houthi retaliation.<\/p>\n

What has been the international reaction?
\nQatar: The Foreign Ministry said the attacks represent a \u201creprehensible act of aggression and an unacceptable disregard for the lives of civilians\u201d.
\nBahrain: The latest attacks \u201crepresent a dangerous escalation [and] a flagrant violation of the rules of international law\u201d, the country\u2019s Foreign Ministry said.
\nUnited Arab Emirates: Abu Dhabi, in addition to condemning the attacks, also decried the continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
\nRussia: \u2060Foreign Minister Lavrov said Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were \u201ccounterproductive\u201d \u2060and were damaging \u2060the global economy.
\nPakistan: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack \u201ccowardly\u201d, adding that such \u201ctreacherous attacks threaten the lives of innocent people as well as regional peace and security\u201d.
\nWhat is happening between government forces and the Houthis?<\/p>\n

On Sunday, Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government said its warplanes had struck Houthi positions in Hodeidah, Marib and al-Jawf, as fighting spread across several fronts.<\/p>\n

On Monday, government-aligned forces stepped up their counteroffensive<\/a>. They announced a ground push towards the al-Labanat mountains in al-Jawf, while also reporting rocket attacks on Yatma and \u201cintensive battles\u201d with Houthi fighters in the province. Government forces also claimed advances towards Dhi Na\u2019im district in al-Bayda.<\/p>\n

The Houthis said they had repelled the advance towards al-Labanat and inflicted casualties on government-aligned forces. Houthi official Mohammed al-Farah also claimed the group fired ballistic missiles at reinforcements in al-Jawf.<\/p>\n

By late Monday, government-aligned forces reported carrying out further air attacks against Houthi positions west of Taiz.<\/p>\n

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the battlefield claims by the Houthis or the Yemeni government.<\/p>\n

Rashad al-Alimi, who heads Yemen\u2019s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, meanwhile said on Monday that government forces had made significant gains against the Houthis, pointing to advances in al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Taiz and Hodeidah.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur armed forces will continue to carry out their constitutional duty until state institutions are restored and their authority extends over the entire territory of Yemen,\u201d al-Alimi said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Yemen\u2019s deputy defence minister, Major-General Samir al-Sabri, said in comments aired on state television that the government had resolved to \u201cretake Sanaa\u201d.<\/p>\n

Majid al-Nuzaili, a spokesperson for government-aligned forces, said the goal of the offensive was to \u201cliberate Yemen from the grip\u201d of the Houthis \u201cand restore Sanaa as a capital for all Yemenis\u201d.<\/p>\n

What is the humanitarian situation on the ground?<\/p>\n

The World Health Organization said on Monday that at least 728 people have been killed or wounded in Yemen since August 23, with the majority in Taiz and along the western coast.<\/p>\n

It said an estimated 21,000 people, roughly 3,000 families, have been displaced from Taiz alone since Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies are arriving with nothing: no shelter, no food, no way to know if it\u2019s safe to go back,\u201d said Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration\u2019s mission in Yemen. \u201cMany of these are people who have already been displaced once, twice, even four times before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Al Jazeera\u2019s Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, said the casualty count is expected to rise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese casualties are said to be in the hundreds from both sides, especially as we have reports of air strikes being conducted in the governorate of al-Jawf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Crisis Group\u2019s Nagi said the world was witnessing \u201csignificant deterioration in what is already a catastrophic situation\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw in the past few days a lot of displacement from areas where there has been fighting between the two sides, especially in Taiz,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are the direct impacts, but there are also indirect ones. The economic situation is likely to get worse, which will put even more pressure on the humanitarian situation. Ultimately, I think it will depend on how long this round of fighting lasts. The longer the conflict continues, the greater the humanitarian impact will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n

Analyst Hisham al-Omeisy said the fighting in the war-torn country was no longer simply a domestic issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are way beyond the concept [of it] being domestic. It all started with the Houthis pushing to control Bab al-Mandeb and the western coast, to control the chokehold on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, with the Iranians controlling the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d al-Omeisy, a senior Yemen adviser at the European Institute of Peace, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is definitely not domestic, especially when the Houthis have started attacking Saudi Arabia as well for the better part of the last month, and now escalating since today [Tuesday].\u201d<\/p>\n

Domestically, the Crisis Group\u2019s Nagi said it was \u201cunclear\u201d what the outcome of this round of fighting will be, describing the situation on the ground as \u201cvery fluid\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut what we are seeing is that the government seems to be in a stronger position than at any time before, and it sees this round of fighting as an opportunity to consolidate its position and gain more territory from the Houthis,\u201d he said, while warning that this did not mean the Houthis were weak.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s true that the Houthis are fighting in Taiz, and they were the ones who launched the offensive against government forces there and made some gains. But on other fronts, in al-Jawf, al-Bayda, Marib and elsewhere, government forces have advanced and gained several key areas, while the Houthis have been on the defensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

On whether there will be a winner in this conflict, al-Omeisy said that in the long term, he expects a negotiated settlement.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the history of Yemen \u2026 we always inevitably reach some sort of a deal, so it\u2019s not going to be a winner-takes-all,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t imagine there\u2019s going to be a push to regain the capital [Sanaa], for instance. It\u2019s going to be a bloodbath if they [government-aligned forces] do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s going to be a humbling of the Houthi forces. There\u2019s going to be losses. But eventually, you will need a political deal,\u201d al-Omeisy added.<\/p>\n

According to Saudi political analyst Khaled Batarfi, the Houthi strikes will trigger a response, but not a prolonged war.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an escalation, of course,\u201d Batarfi told Al Jazeera. In past attacks, Saudi Arabia tried \u201cto not get engaged in a civil war, keep its distance, and to not respond to attacks. But now this is too much [of an escalation],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coalition will have a say on that,\u201d Batarfi noted. \u201cThis is a civil war inside Yemen, and it affects us as one of the parties. And so any response \u2026 in the same way [will be] an eye for an eye. But I don\u2019t see a prolonged war \u2013 not with Iran, and not with the Houthis.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yemen\u2019s Houthi group has carried out attacks in southern Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh saying that dozens of people…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609780,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1153,5697,42,8954,47,2899,43,78,40,38,41,39,2893],"class_list":["post-609779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-conflict","tag-explainer","tag-headlines","tag-houthis","tag-middle-east","tag-military","tag-news","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-yemen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}