Yemen 'prepared for any escalations' with Houthis
Yemen says it's ready for any Houthi escalation after the rebels struck Saudi oil sites and imposed a blockade on the kingdom
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A handout image made available by the Ansarullah Media Center on July 26, 2026, shows an Iran-backed Houthi rebel walking towards the burning wreckage of what the group says is of a downed Saudi drone, in the northwest of Yemen’s al-Jawf governorate.
AFP
Yemen's internationally recognized government said Monday it is ready for any escalation with Houthi rebels, as fears grow of a wider Yemen Houthi escalation destabilizing Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf. The warning came after the Iran-backed group launched fresh attacks and imposed a maritime blockade on the kingdom.
Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia?
The Houthis appear to be copying Iran's tactics in the Strait of Hormuz, using drone strikes and a naval blockade to try to seize control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Yemen's foreign minister designate, Afrah al-Zouba, said the rebels are "in harmony" with Iran's regional escalation and are seeking to dominate the Red Sea shipping route into the Gulf.
"At the end of the day, we are prepared for any escalations," al-Zouba told reporters during a briefing in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Her comments followed the Houthis' claim that they had launched fresh drone strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure in response to incursions by the kingdom's drones. Last week, the group had already announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and claimed several attacks on Saudi tankers and oil facilities.
Why does the Bab al-Mandeb Strait matter?
The narrow waterway is a critical route for shipping Saudi crude to international markets, particularly since traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely choked off by fighting there. Al-Zouba said the "Houthis want to copy the Iran experience in Hormuz," adding that the rebels believe controlling the Red Sea route would hand them major leverage over the kingdom. She said the situation inside Yemen remains tense, with Houthi forces skirmishing daily against government troops in several areas of the country.
A Saudi-led military coalition had fought the Houthis in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government since war broke out in 2015. The latest flare-up marks the first direct clash between the two sides in years, threatening a 2022 truce that has largely held even after its formal expiration.
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