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Yemen

October 12, 2026

Sanaa 12:51 am

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Saudi-backed Yemeni government soldiers

Can Saudi Arabia rebuild Yemen’s fractured anti-Houthi coalition?

Members of the Southern Giants Brigade sit in the back of military vehicles

Analysis

Who are Yemen's Southern Giants Brigades leading the fight against the Houthis?

The Giants Brigades have emerged as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government’s most formidable fighting force.

Giorgio Cafiero

By Giorgio Cafiero

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces ride in the back of a military truck at the Jabal Han front west of the city of Taiz following fierce battles earlier in the day as Yemen's Houthis reportedly attempted to seize control of the main route between the inland city of Taiz and the coastal city of Aden, on Oct. 3, 2026.

Saudi envoy says allied Yemeni forces capture Bab el Mandeb strait from Houthis: What to know

A Houthi spokesperson rejected claims that Saudi-backed forces had retaken territory along the Bab el Mandeb Strait, as fighting escalated with new attacks on the Riyadh airport.

Travelers queue to check in their luggage at the terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, on March 10, 2026.

Riyadh airport issues travel alert as Yemen's Houthis claim fresh attack on Saudi Arabia

Hundreds of flights to and from the Saudi capital were canceled or delayed on Thursday, with passengers being urged to check with airlines before heading to the airport.

Latest News

US quietly aids Saudi Arabia’s Yemen campaign with intel, refueling

A US Boeing KC-135 air refueling tanker flies

Turkey to send Mecca pact to parliament, opening path to Saudi deployment

Turkish Navy infantry soldiers take part in the Denizkurdu-I/2026 Exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Aksaz, at Marmaris in Mugla, on Sept. 24, 2026.

Explainer

From Amaliqa to Houthis, here are main armed groups fighting in Yemen

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces walk along a dirt road

French marines patrol the area around the French navy frigate, the FS Languedoc.

Analysis

Despite internal discord, EU to launch Red Sea naval mission within 3 weeks

Internal disagreements within the European Union are why Brussels announced only this week that it will set up a naval military mission in the Red Sea to protect the maritime route.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie holds a press conference about the grounding of the Panama-flagged MV Ever Given cargo ship in the waterway, Suez, March 27, 2021.

Analysis

Egypt sees sharp decline in Suez Canal trade volume amid Red Sea turmoil

Data for 2024 up to Jan. 29 show 140.55 million metric tons of trade transiting the key chokehold compared with 145.25 million metric tons the same time last year.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

David Cameron

UK’s Cameron heads to Oman to discuss Houthi attacks, Red Sea escalation

Ahead of the visit, the foreign minister told the Conservative Middle East Council that Britain is ready to bring forward the moment when it officially recognizes an independent Palestinian state.

Luke Dray/Getty Images

Yemen’s Houthis fire missile at US warship as Biden seeks China's aid

The Houthis targeted a US Navy destroyer with an anti-ship ballistic missile as Biden's top adviser was due to meet China's top diplomat in Thailand on Friday to discuss reining in the Yemeni faction's attacks.

A ship transits the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024, in Ismailia, Egypt.

Red Sea trade hit can be 'managed' amid weak global demand, says WEF

Maroun Kairouz, director of the World Economic Forum for the Middle East and North Africa, told Al-Monitor that the Israel-Hamas conflict has not had a material impact on global energy markets so far.

Houthi soldiers attend a military parade marking the ninth anniversary of the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa on Sept. 21, 2023.

US redesignates Yemen’s Houthis as terror group amid Red Sea attacks

The Biden administration stopped short of branding the Houthis with the more severe Foreign Terrorist Organization label, which aid agencies warned would hinder their life-saving work in Yemen.

This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on Nov. 20, 2023.

Davos 2024: Red Sea attacks ‘a crisis whole world needs to respond to,’ says US

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that since mid-November, 50 nations have been impacted by nearly 30 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by the Iran-aligned Houthi militants.

People take part in a protest in the streets of the Yemeni Red Sea city of Hudeida, to condemn the overnight US and British forces strikes on Houthi rebel-held cities, on Jan. 12, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza.

Red Sea escalation threatens US effort to end Yemen's war

Experts say a wave of American-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen that are meant to prevent further attacks in the Red Sea could embolden the militants and undermine an already shaky truce.

A sign is seen at the congress center during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2023.

Davos 2024: Gaza, Red Sea high on World Economic Forum agenda

More than 300 high-profile public figures will gather at the summit in the Swiss Alpine ski resort, including more than 60 heads of state and government, to discuss global security and business challenges.

In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defense, an RAF Typhoon aircraft returns to berth following a strike mission on Yemen's Houthi rebels at RAF Akrotiri on Jan. 12, 2024.

Analysis

Explainer: Why Bahrain supported US strikes on Yemen’s Houthis

Bahrain’s geographical position and close ties to the US are influencing its policy on the Houthis’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

ISMAILIA, EGYPT - JANUARY 10: A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on January 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt. In the wake of Israel's war on Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Houthi rebels in Yemen pledged disruption on all ships destined for Israel through the Red Sea's Suez Canal. The disruption on world trade is evident in the number of companies using this container ship route - a 90 per cent decline compared to figures one year ago. (Photo by Sayed Hassan/Getty Images)

Tesla, Volvo pause production lines, oil prices up amid Red Sea tension

There is a fast-growing list of companies that have had to recalibrate their business strategies while the Red Sea shipping route remains volatile.

An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the US-led coalition from RAF Akrotiri to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen on Jan. 12, 2024.

US, UK carry out strikes against Yemen's Houthis following Red Sea attacks

The allied forces struck radar sites and weapons storage facilities with bombs after Houthis spurned a warning by the United States and a dozen others to halt their attacks on Red Sea commercial shipping.