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Yemen

May 8, 2026

Sanaa 12:11 am

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Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Saudis shop for fresh products at a market in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2026, on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security

Roughly 61 million people in the Gulf rely on established food supply chains, many of which have been upended since the United States and Israel launched their attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

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

Riyadh

Analysis

In Saudi Arabia, Erdogan fosters security alignment, $30B trade push

The Turkish president’s visit cemented Ankara and Riyadh’s accelerating convergence as regional crises mount and Gulf rivalries sharpen.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Galaxy Leader

Yemen’s Houthis hint at Red Sea attacks as US-Iran tensions rise: What to know

The Houthi warnings come as a US aircraft carrier accompanied by several guided missile destroyers entered Gulf waters amid tensions with Iran.

Latest News

Thousands rally for South Yemen independence amid Saudi diplomatic push

AFP via Getty Images

Egypt's economy can weather more Red Sea attacks, says finance minister

Ships sail along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia on April 16, 2025.

From Egypt to Lebanon: What’s at stake for regional states on Trump’s visa ban list?

From Iraq to Yemen, how Iran proxies are responding to protests

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026.

Followers of the Shi'ite Houthi group shout slogans during a gathering near the Yemeni capital Sanaa August 20, 2014. Countries trying to save Yemen from falling apart at the hands of Islamist militants and separatist movements warned Shi'ite Muslim Houthis on Tuesday to stop trying to gain territory by force and engage in a political transition process. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR4340W

Saudi Arabia seeks Yemen reconciliation to subdue Houthis

After months of fierce fighting in Omran, the city fell under the control of armed Houthis, while Saudi Arabia was seeking to achieve national reconciliation in Yemen.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani reviews honour guards during a welcoming ceremony at Algiers airport April 2, 2014. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3JOO5

UAE tries to scuttle Qatar-Saudi reconciliation

There are signs that ties between Qatar and Saudi Arabia are improving, but the United Arab Emirates is maintaining a hard-line position on Doha, threatening Gulf reconciliation.

Army and police officers sit on the ground during a protest to denounce fuel prices hikes in Sanaa August 4, 2014. Yemen raised fuel prices last week, oil officials told Reuters, as the impoverished country tries to cut energy subsidies to ease the burden on its budget deficit. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST ENERGY MILITARY) - RTR415WW

Saudi Arabia losing influence in Yemen

Saudi Arabia once enjoyed unrivalled influence in Yemen, but the transition of power and breakdown of state have allowed other foreign powers, particularly Qatar and Iran, to get a stake in Yemeni affairs.

Saudis see Houthi gains in Yemen as advance for Iran

Many Saudis are interpreting the Houthis’ sudden advance toward the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, as a message from Iran that it will not tolerate a Sunni Islamist advance on Baghdad.

People look through the wreckage of the headquarters of Yemen's Islamist Islah party in the northwestern city of Amran July 14, 2014. According to local media, the five-story building was bombed by Shi'ite Muslim tribesmen known as Houthis during recent fighting against army forces in Amran, and there were no casualties. Yemen's president on Sunday demanded the withdrawal of Shi'ite Muslim tribesmen from the provincial city of Amran captured on July 8, in a stand-off that threatens to intensify turmoil in t

Fall of Amran sends shock waves across Yemen

The causes of the Yemeni government’s failure to hold the city of Amran against Houthi militias are deeply rooted in history.

A supporter of Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh chants slogans after the weekly Friday prayers in front of the Al-Saleh mosque in Sanaa June 20, 2014. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST RELIGION) - RTR3UW98

Tensions rise between Yemen's Saleh and Hadi

Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is using the poor performance of current President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s government to remain politically relevant.

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH

A covered body is seen as policemen and people check the scene of a collision on a highway leading to a border crossing between Yemen and Saudi Arabia May 18, 2013. At least 13 people were killed as two cars ran into each other and caught fire after the collision, burning some occupants to death, police officials at the scene said. Yemen is among the countries with the world's highest rates of traffic fatalities. Traffic accidents claimed th

Car accidents kill more Yemenis than violence

Poor infrastructure is largely to blame for the more than 2,000 yearly deaths on Yemen’s roads.

Protesters burn tyres during a demonstration against Yemen's fuel shortages in Sanaa June 11, 2014. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Yemeni president's house in the capital Sanaa on Wednesday to call for the fall of the government, angry at a city-wide power cut about to enter its third day and severe petrol shortages. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi (YEMEN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTR3T7U4

How Gulf Initiative has worsened Yemen's crisis

Yemen has been stuck in a "transitional phase" while the state is collapsing as a result of failing government performance and a decline in basic services for citizens.

An army vehicle patrols in al-Mahfad of the southern Yemeni province of Abyan May 23, 2014. Yemeni forces have faced a wave of hit-and-run attacks by al Qaeda insurgents since the army captured their strongholds in al-Mahfad in Abyan province and in Mayfa'a, Azzan and Gol al-Rayda in Shabwa province earlier this month. Picture taken May 23, 2014. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah (YEMEN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3QMO6

Yemen forces take lead in battle with al-Qaeda

Yemeni forces have taken charge in the latest offensive against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, winning the support of the public.

Fighters from Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) burn confiscated cigarettes in the city of Raqqa April 2, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT RELIGION SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3JP4Z

Saudis fear Syria blowback after discovering ISIS cell

Fears of jihadist blowback from the Syrian war are starting to be realized after Saudi's discovery of a terrorist cell planning attacks on its soil.

A member of Saudi security forces attends Abdullah's Sword military drill as a jet flies by in Hafar Al-Batin, near the border with Kuwait REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: MILITARY) - RTR3N4AM

What message is Saudi Arabia sending with war games?

Saudi Arabia has just finished its largest war games in recent history, signalling its intent to develop its military capabilities in an increasingly unstable region.

U.S. President Barack Obama waves after addressing Israeli students at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem March 21, 2013. Obama appealed directly on Thursday to the Israeli people to put themselves in the shoes of stateless Palestinians and recognise that Jewish settlement activity in occupied territory hurts prospects for peace. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3FA2G

The myth of Obama’s failure in the Middle East

US diplomacy is actively engaged on all fronts in the region, while the president’s critics offer no feasible alternatives.