Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement are back in open conflict after a four-year truce broke down in 2026. What began as scattered border skirmishes has turned into one of the most serious escalations since the Yemen war first drew in Riyadh over a decade ago. Missile strikes, drone attacks, and a naval blockade have now put civilians, oil infrastructure, and regional stability directly in the crossfire.
Who Are the Houthis
The Houthis are an armed political and religious movement from northern Yemen, formally known as Ansar Allah, meaning supporters of God. The group follows Zaydi Shia Islam and rose to power after seizing Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and forcing out the internationally recognised government. That takeover triggered a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015, since Riyadh viewed a Houthi-controlled Yemen as an unacceptable security threat on its southern border, particularly given the group’s ties to Iran.
What Sparked the 2026 Escalation
Hostilities restarted in July 2026 when the Houthis launched missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia’s Abha international airport, following an earlier attack on Sanaa airport. Days later, the group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and began targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. (Al Jazeera) (Al Jazeera)The immediate trigger for a major September escalation came when the Houthis attempted to fly a plane from Tehran to Sanaa, directly challenging a decade-long air and naval blockade enforced by the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces responded with a broad offensive against Houthi-held territory, and the truce that had held since 2022 effectively collapsed. (NPR)
The Attacks and Saudi Response
By early September, the conflict had turned deadly inside Saudi Arabia itself. A wave of Houthi strikes hit oil facilities and utilities in the kingdom’s southern region, wounding more than 70 people and sparking fires at energy sites, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis said the strikes were retaliation for what they described as more than 120 Saudi air raids on Yemen in the preceding days, including a strike on a prison in Yemen’s al-Jawf province that reportedly killed several people.
Saudi officials have called the attacks a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty. The Saudi-led coalition has vowed to respond firmly and to act against what it calls the sources of the threat, while the Houthis have said their operations will continue until what they term Saudi aggression against Yemen ends.
A Widening Regional Response.
The conflict has since drawn in more countries. As Houthi attacks intensified through September, targeting sites the group claimed were near Mecca and hitting the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s allies began mobilising support. France said it would send military assets to help protect Yanbu, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkiye arranged urgent defence talks under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a pact that treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti has also called on the kingdom’s soldiers to be ready to defend the country.Russia has separately weighed in, warning that continued Houthi strikes are damaging the global economy given Saudi Arabia’s role as the world’s largest oil exporter.
What the Houthis Want
At the core of the conflict, the Houthis are seeking an end to what they call foreign aggression and blockade against Yemen, along with recognition of their authority over the territory they control. They present their attacks on Saudi Arabia as retaliation for Saudi-led air strikes inside Yemen, and their targeting of shipping and oil infrastructure as leverage against a kingdom they accuse of strangling Yemen’s economy through a long-running blockade. Saudi Arabia and its allies, in turn, view the Houthis as a destabilising, Iran-backed force whose growing missile and drone capability threatens both regional security and global energy supplies.
Why It Matters Globally
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter and a de facto OPEC leader, so attacks on its energy infrastructure carry consequences well beyond the region. Strikes near the Red Sea and the port of Yanbu also threaten a critical global shipping corridor, adding to disruption already caused by Houthi attacks on vessels since 2023. Analysts warn that continued escalation could push energy prices higher and further strain an already volatile Middle East, especially coming just months after the 2026 Iran war.
What Comes Next
With Pakistan, Turkiye, and France now signalling direct support for Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis showing no sign of halting operations, the conflict appears likely to deepen before any new truce talks emerge. Much will depend on whether Iran’s role expands, and whether international pressure, including further UN Security Council statements, can bring both sides back toward negotiation.
FAQs
Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia?
The Houthis say their attacks are retaliation for Saudi-led air strikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen and for what they call a long-running Saudi blockade that has damaged Yemen’s economy and humanitarian situation. Saudi Arabia, in turn, says it is responding to unprovoked attacks on its cities, oil facilities, and airports, and describes the Houthis as an Iran-backed militia threatening its sovereignty and civilian population.Are the Houthis MuslimsYes. The Houthis are Muslims who follow Zaydi Shia Islam, a branch of Shia Islam historically concentrated in northern Yemen.
Why is the US against the Houthis?
Washington has designated the Houthis a security threat because of their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, their missile and drone strikes on US allies including Saudi Arabia and Israel, and their close military relationship with Iran. US officials have previously accused Iran of enabling Houthi attacks in violation of UN Security Council resolutions restricting arms transfers into Yemen, and Washington has supported Saudi-led coalition efforts to contain the group’s capabilities.
Why is the US against the Houthis?
