Houthis threaten more Saudi strikes as UN warns of humanitarian crisis in Yemen

What Happened

The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for a "large-scale" attack using "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" against King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia, on Monday, and threatened further strikes on Saudi cities. Air raid sirens were activated in six governorates, including Jeddah, on Tuesday. The UN warned that 100,000 Yemenis have already been displaced by the fighting. Reuters reported that loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu had been suspended, citing shipping industry sources; Brent crude rose nearly 3% to $108 a barrel after Saudi Aramco closed its East-West pipeline due to an attack by the Houthis. The article did not independently verify damage from the Houthi-claimed strikes. Qatar's foreign ministry official Ibrahim al-Hashmi warned that Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab strait would be "catastrophic for the entire world." Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Beijing to discuss China's possible role in the Hormuz dispute. The Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed for commercial traffic, with only four ships recorded crossing on Monday compared with a prewar average of about 130 ships, and a Qatar ship disabled by Iran, according to the report. A planned meeting between Iran and most Gulf Cooperation Council countries in Oman was delayed at Saudi Arabia's insistence over Houthi attacks. US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke with Oman's foreign minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi on Tuesday. US president Donald Trump rejected Saudi pleas to join the fight to drive the Houthis back up the Red Sea coast; Houthi leaders spoke to US vice-president JD Vance, claiming their forces seek only to hinder Saudi-owned shipping.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The convergence of Houthi pressure on Saudi Arabia and Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz threatens the two maritime chokepoints that carry a large share of global oil and gas. If Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz both fall under long-term control of forces opposed to Western interests, it would mark a strategic reversal for the US and Europe. Oil prices have already risen to $108 a barrel, and the UN says 100,000 Yemenis are displaced, signalling a regional escalation with direct energy market and humanitarian consequences.

Watch For

The next military engagement inside Yemen is likely to focus on Marib, where Saudi air raids are trying to weaken Houthi formations. Monitor whether the postponed Oman meeting between Iran and GCC states is rescheduled and whether Qatar secures agreement on an authorised shipping route through Hormuz. Watch for any US decision to provide direct military support to Saudi Arabia, further Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, Yanbu loading resumption, and UN Security Council follow-up to calls for Houthi restraint.