Yemen - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Yemen cover image

Yemen

October 31, 2026

Sanaa 1:47 pm

27°C

Security forces stand guard in front of a banner showing the Kaaba during a protest by supporters of the Houthi authorities against the Saudi intervention in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia's recent accusation that the Houthis fired at the holy city of Mecca, in Sanaa on Sept. 18, 2026.

Russian satellite data helped Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia: What to know

A report by The Associated Press found evidence that Russian satellites helped Yemen’s Houthis identify and target specific sites, including energy facilities and military bases, in Saudi Arabia.

Egyptian soldiers man an infantry fighting vehicle

Explainer

As parliament approves, what's driving Egypt's 'defensive' support to Saudi Arabia?

Egypt, which has one of the region's largest militaries, is reliant on Saudi investment and ties the kingdom's security to its own.

A man looks at a screen displaying the flight schedule at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, on Oct. 12, 2026, as Saudi Arabia-bound flights remain canceled a day after a Houthi strike at Riyadh's international airport.

Riyadh airport reopening faces turbulence as Houthis claim new strikes

A trickle of flights landed and departed from the Saudi capital on Monday as the Houthis continued to threaten aviation in the Gulf state.

Destroyed military vehicles reportedly belonging to Saudi-backed forces

US issues travel advisories across Middle East citing Houthi threat

A State Department spokesperson said the travel warnings were "not indicative" of new Houthi capabilities.

Latest News

Aramco evacuates staff as Saudi Arabia braces for potential Houthi escalation: What to know

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

France’s Macron first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since Houthi escalation

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

Yemen displacement tops 250K as Houthis tighten siege on Taiz: What to know

Yemenis line up to refill gas bottles at a refilling station in Taiz, on Oct. 19, 2026.

Feature

US aid runs dry as new fighting razes Yemen

Internally displaced Yemenis queue at a water tank dispenser

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' until 2027 amid Houthi attacks

The Future Investment Initiative, which typically attracts the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in business, finance, and technology to Riyadh, will now be held next year.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a press conference in Tehran on November 30, 2025.

Analysis

Turkey turns to Iran to contain Houthis as Saudi defense commitments grow

Ankara is trying to contain the fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis through Tehran’s help, but Iran may see an advantage in allowing the Houthis to maintain pressure on the kingdom.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Fighters loyal to Yemen's exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi pose for a picture near the presidential palace (unseen R) following clashes in Aden's Maashiq neighborhood on July 22, 2015.

Houthis strike Yemeni government’s presidential palace in Aden: What to know

Aden serves as the de facto capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which was forced to relocate from Sanaa after the Houthis seized the capital in 2014.

a member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces firing a machine gun mounted on a pick-up truck

Yemen forces clash with Houthis around Taiz as humanitarian situation worsens

The Houthis are laying siege to the strategic city of Taiz as the government works to advance along the coast.

Flames burn at a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco south of Riyadh

Explainer

Aramco HQ attack exposes Saudi defense gaps, infrastructure vulnerabilities

The Iran-linked Yemeni militants struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry this week amid an expanding campaign against key infrastructure.

Serhan Asker, General Program Coordinator at Halk TV, makes a statement outside the Ankara branch of Turkey's most-watched news channel, Halk TV.

Live Updates

Turkey seizes opposition Halk TV as crackdown widens: What to know

Halk TV is a pro-opposition broadcaster and one of Turkey’s most-watched news channels.

Yemenis brandishing the People's Republic of South Yemen flag

Southern Yemeni leader calls for 'mobilization’ against Houthis as war escalates

Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who leads the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council separatist group, called on southern Yemenis to fight for regional autonomy and against the Houthis, while condemning attacks on Saudi Arabia.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a reporters question in the Oval Office at the White House on September 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump announced plans that a new $15 billion steel plant will be built in eastern Iowa by Mesabi Metallics and is projected to be one of the largest in the United States. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump floats asking Turkey to join fight against Houthis in Yemen

“President Erdogan, I think, would do as I ask,” he told reporters.

Men walk at a terminal at Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on December 12, 2019. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Jeddah airport flights disrupted as Houthis escalate threats

Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport, Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport, saw widespread flight cancellations and delays on Tuesday.

A plume of smoke rises during a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Oct. 9, 2026.

Saudi-led coalition strikes Sanaa as Trump says Houthis act at Iran’s behest

The Saudi-led coalition urged civilians to evacuate an oil facility in Yemen’s capital ahead of a planned “precision operation.”

A giant electoral poster for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party with the slogan "no surrender" is displayed on the facade of a building in Tel Aviv on Sept. 29, 2026

Exclusive

In bid to win over Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu may strike Yemen before elections

Attacks on Iran or its Yemeni proxy before the elections cannot be ruled out, but the Israeli prime minister appears more inclined to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis in Yemen.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense