Yemen

US officials and Houthi representatives held a meeting at the US embassy in Muscat earlier this week, in an arrangement facilitated by Oman, according to informed sources. The group’s representatives told the US side that they did not intend to target US vessels and were committed to the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides in 2025.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced his country's solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for its efforts to protect the security of the Two Holy Mosques after the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis before it entered Makkah’s restricted airspace, confirming the operation took place south of the city. An Ansar Allah official, meanwhile, described claims that Makkah was targeted as a previously used allegation.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation declared its solidarity with Saudi Arabia after a drone launched by the Houthi group was intercepted south of Mecca on Tuesday evening. The organisation described targeting holy sites and civilian objects as an act incompatible with Islamic values and international law, affirming its support for Saudi measures to protect the kingdom’s security and sovereignty.

The UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss developments in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, amid growing concerns over international navigation and the humanitarian situation in Yemen. Participants called for protecting maritime routes and reducing tensions, while supporting a political settlement to the Yemeni crisis.

Yemeni Prime Minister Shaia al-Zindani warned that Houthi escalation now threatens regional security and international interests, calling for stronger cohesion among state institutions. Amid fighting on the western coast, Hodeidah Governor Hassan Taher described recent developments as the result of “a major deception and conspiracy,” without naming the parties he accused of financing and facilitating them.

Shipping data showed the number of vessels tracked in the Strait of Hormuz falling to three on September 15, 2026, amid reports of maritime incidents. Meanwhile, traffic through Bab el-Mandeb continued without a significant change after the Houthis took control of Mayyun Island, with 159 vessels passing through in five days.

A Yemeni military source said the Houthi group had laid naval mines and dug trenches in mountains overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The development comes as the UN Security Council holds an emergency session to discuss regional developments, amid growing concerns over navigation and the displacement of more than 100,000 people since fighting resumed.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said 125,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since early September 2026, amid escalating fighting between government forces and the Houthis. The humanitarian response faces severe shortages in funding and supplies, as well as restrictions hindering aid access to affected areas, particularly along the western coast.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the continued attacks on Saudi Arabia, describing them as a violation of international law and a threat to regional security. The position came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo for talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on regional developments and bilateral relations.

Escalating military confrontations in Yemen have triggered widespread displacement across six governorates, while other families have traveled by sea toward countries in the Horn of Africa. The Executive Unit for the Management of Displaced Persons Camps called for urgent humanitarian intervention to provide shelter, food, water and healthcare to the worst-affected groups.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry condemned the continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying they threaten regional stability and security. The position came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo for talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on regional developments and bilateral relations.

The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said ballistic missiles and drones targeted three Saudi cities, injuring 13 civilians, as Saudi Arabia pledged to respond. The attacks coincided with escalating clashes inside Yemen, where the United Nations reported civilian deaths and injuries and the displacement of about 125,000 people since the beginning of September.

Saudi Civil Defense announced that the potential danger had passed in Yanbu, Taif, Jeddah, Abha, Jazan and AlUla after emergency alerts urged residents to follow safety instructions. The warnings came amid an escalation in attacks carried out by the Houthi group against cities and facilities inside the Kingdom.

Fighting continued between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi Ansar Allah group on several fronts, alongside airstrikes on positions along the western coast. The United Nations confirmed that the number of displaced people had risen to 150,000, as the humanitarian impact of fighting that shifted front lines in Taiz and Hodeidah governorates widened.

The International Organization for Migration said 93,864 people had recently been displaced across Yemen as the conflict intensified since the beginning of September, with large numbers concentrated in Taiz and Lahj governorates. The organization called on donors to provide urgent support for shelter, water and sanitation services for displaced families.

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council member Othman Mujali visited on Monday the positions of the Fifth Military Region in Hajjah province and inspected naval and coast guard forces and islands off Midi. During a meeting with commanders, officers and soldiers, he affirmed that the battle to restore state institutions would continue and called for maintaining readiness and morale.

Fighting continued between Yemen’s government forces and Ansar Allah (the Houthis) on several fronts, alongside airstrikes and battlefield shifts in western and northern provinces. The International Organization for Migration said the fighting had displaced more than 82,000 people since the beginning of September, amid obstacles to delivering aid to those affected.

The National Resistance announced that more than 500 of its members were killed and around 1,500 wounded in battles with the Houthis on Yemen’s western coast between August 9 and September 10. It said it had redeployed its forces to new defensive lines and accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its allies of directly participating in and supporting the attack.

Clashes continued between government forces and the Houthi group in Marib, Al Jawf, Al Bayda and Yemen’s western coast, with reciprocal shelling and drone use. The International Organization for Migration said more than 82,000 people had been displaced, while control of Mokha and Dhubab remains subject to rapid shifts between the two sides.

Displacement has expanded in Yemen’s Taiz governorate to include more than 6,400 families, many of whom have been forced to leave their homes more than once as military escalation continues. The government unit overseeing displaced-persons camps has issued an urgent appeal to authorities and aid organizations, calling for swift action to meet the affected families’ basic needs.

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced three strikes on Houthi positions and barracks on the al-Dhabab front in Taiz governorate, alongside other strikes as part of an operation called “Kill Box.” The escalation comes amid accelerating displacement, with the United Nations reporting that at least 76,000 people have been displaced since July.

Risks to shipping through Bab el-Mandeb have increased as fighting resumes along Yemen’s western coast, amid reports that the Houthis have taken control of Mayyun Island. The strait is globally important, carrying about 6 million barrels of oil a day and nearly 12% of seaborne trade, while an expert warns of the consequences of tensions there coinciding with the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Two Yemeni government sources said the Houthis had reached the city of Dhubab in Taiz governorate, directly overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, after advancing along the western coast and taking control of the city of Mokha and its port. The move places the group near a shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.