Yemen’s Houthi armed forces patrol the capital Sanaa on Sept. 12, 2026. Photo: Mohammed Huwaish / AFP via Getty Images via The Conversation
The Houthis are back in the spotlight. They have no intention of backing down in the face of “Operation Dawn of Yemen,” an offensive launched earlier this month by Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. In response, the Iran-backed rebels, who have already been accused of targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities, are attacking sensitive infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the East-West pipeline, Aramco offices and airports across the kingdom. On Friday, attacks on Riyadh’s airport left at least three people dead.Meanwhile, Houthi fighters have been consolidating their control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait for weeks, potentially enabling Iran, which is already blocking the Strait of Hormuz, to control two key maritime passages critical to global trade and energy flows. Yet the Houthis, now an...
The Houthis are back in the spotlight. They have no intention of backing down in the face of “Operation Dawn of Yemen,” an offensive launched earlier this month by Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government. In response, the Iran-backed rebels, who have already been accused of targeting Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities, are attacking sensitive infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the East-West pipeline, Aramco offices and airports across the kingdom. On Friday, attacks on Riyadh’s airport left at least three people dead.Meanwhile, Houthi fighters have been consolidating their control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait for weeks, potentially enabling Iran, which is already blocking the Strait of Hormuz, to control two key maritime passages critical to global trade and energy flows. Yet the...
