Yemeni pro‑government forces backed by Saudi Arabia say they have secured the Bab al‑Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea as the start of a major offensive against Houthi fighters.
The army also stated that National Shield, Giant Brigades and Tihama Resistance units captured the Red Sea city of Mokha with Saudi air support, but other government officials claim only the outskirts were reached.
Houthi fighters announced they struck Riyadh’s international airport and other sites, accusing Saudi forces of “dozens of massacres” and calling for accountability.
Saudi Arabia condemned the attacks and urged members of the UN Security Council to support Yemen’s government, while coalition jets delivered “round‑the‑clock” air strikes, destroying hundreds of high‑value targets since the offensive began.
In a coordinated move, Turkey and Pakistan activated a Mecca defence pact, promising rapid deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia to counter the escalating conflict.
Saudi air strikes on Sana’a left a schoolgirl and a woman dead, prompting Houthi‑run media to warn that airspace above Saudi territory is no longer safe for civilian flight.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam blamed Saudi blockade of ports and airports and an earlier air strike on Sana’a for their retaliation.
The Houthi‑run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre cautioned airlines that Saudi airspace, except that over Mecca and Medina, was unsafe due to military activity.
UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres condemned the continued Houthi cross‑border attacks and expressed deep concern at the sharp escalation.
The war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, followed in 2015 by a Saudi‑led intervention to restore the government. A fragile ceasefire broke in July 2026 after the Houthis launched maritime and air attacks on Saudi targets.
During the latest offensive, the Houthis seized Mokha, Dhubab and Perim Island, threatening international shipping through the Bab al‑Mandab Strait—a route vital for Saudi oil exports after the Strait of Hormuz closed during the Israel–Iran war.
Since August, Yemeni authorities report nearly 1,000 deaths and 5,000 injuries, while the UN lists 197,000 people displaced across the country.
