Swedish diplomat, UN Special Envoy for Yemen since 2021
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has captured Yemen's Red Sea coast, including Mocha and key islands in the Bab al-Mandeb, after a week-long offensive that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. Yemeni government forces have launched air and artillery strikes and reported hits near Mocha, while Saudi Arabia has closed a major East‑West oil pipeline and oil prices have risen above $100 a barrel.
The Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, threatening Bab al-Mandab and disrupting shipping routes. The move follows months of fighting and Saudi-led retaliation, while the broader regional confrontation deepens and oil markets react.
Yemen's Houthi movement has declared an immediate maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, saying it will close the Bab al‑Mandab to Saudi vessels in retaliation for a reported Saudi blockade of Houthi ports and last week's strikes on Sanaa airport. The announcement has raised fears of renewed attacks on Red Sea shipping and wider disruption to oil routes that already bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has ongoing shortages of long‑range missiles and interceptors amid the Iran war. Authorities are replenishing stockpiles, ramping up production, and monitoring ally readiness as munitions levels remain stressed. Multiple outlets report depleted Patriot and THAAD interceptors and widespread use of ATACMS, PrSM, Tomahawks, and other missiles.
Houthis have launched repeated drone, missile and naval strikes that have damaged Yemen’s Mocha port, killed dozens and forced the port’s suspension. The group has claimed a drone hit on Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery and renewed attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al‑Mandeb, while Yemeni government forces have mounted counter‑attacks across multiple fronts.
UN envoy Hans Grundberg has warned that Yemen faces a renewed large-scale conflict, jeopardising the 2022 truce and risking a broader regional confrontation. Attacks since July 13 have included a Saudi strike on Sanaa airport and Houthi assaults on Abha and Mokha, prompting talks aimed at averting a wider war.
A new wave of Houthi strikes targets Yemeni government sites and Red Sea shipping, raising fears of a broader return to civil conflict. The attacks follow a series of cross-border strikes and a blockade threat that has intensified regional security concerns.
Houthi attacks on Yemen’s Red Sea coast have intensified, striking Mocha and al-Makha ports as government forces and militants trade strikes across Marib, Taiz and the western coast. The violence threatens shipping lanes, raises regional tensions, and risks drawing in regional powers as talks for a ceasefire stall.
The latest from Al Jazeera, AP, Independent and France 24 shows a surge in Yemen-Houthi-Israel- Lebanon-Israel-Hezbollah clashes. Houthis claim to have shot down a Saudi reconnaissance plane; Yemen's conflict has intensified around Bab al-Mandeb and al-Jawf, with air strikes and drone battles raising regional tensions. UN warns risk of full-scale war.
Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s coast, reaching Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, threatening a critical route that feeds global oil shipments and Straits of Hormuz alternatives. The move widens Iran’s leverage as the U.S. weighs limited intervention while regional partners take the lead.