• Tens of thousands have marched through the streets of Sanaa in support of the Houthis and against Saudi Arabia, as fighting heats up in western Yemen.
• Yemen’s Human Rights Ministry, part of the internationally recognised government, has accused Iran-backed Houthi fighters of attacking Saudi-funded aid and medical facilities, warning that civilians could lose access to basic services.
• More than 2,700 Yemeni refugees have arrived in Djibouti, where humanitarian assistance remains severely limited.

Saudi Arabia issues danger alerts for Riyadh and al-Kharj

Saudi Civil Defense says the National Early Warning Platform has issued danger alerts for Riyadh and al-Kharj.

In separate posts on X, the authority urged residents in both areas to follow safety instructions issued through the emergency warning system.

Danger passes in Riyadh and al-Kharj, Saudi Civil Defense says

Saudi Civil Defense says the danger has passed in Riyadh and al-Kharj after earlier alerts were issued through the National Early Warning Platform.

In separate posts on X, the authority urged residents to continue following civil defense instructions and avoid gathering or filming.

What does "avoid filming" mean? If it means forbidden to film, it is supposed to be written this way.

Yemen is not Iran’s bargaining chip, foreign minister says

Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba has said in an interview with the Russian state news agency Sputnik that “Yemen is not a bargaining chip for anyone to compensate for losses elsewhere, nor an arena for settling scores, nor a bargaining chip for any regional power to improve its negotiating position.”

Yemen’s Foreign Ministry directly named Iran as the regional power seeking to “improve its negotiating position” in a post on X, as Tehran is locked in war with Washington and negotiations have stalled.

The foreign minister said that “restoring the state is crucial for regional security and the protection of international navigation”, addressing Houthi gains on Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.

Saudi Arabia issues second danger alerts for Riyadh and al-Kharj overnight

Saudi Civil Defense says the National Early Warning Platform has issued fresh danger alerts for Riyadh and al-Kharj, the second such warnings for both areas overnight.

In separate posts on X, the authority urged residents to follow civil defense instructions and take precautionary measures.

The latest alerts come after earlier warnings for Riyadh and al-Kharj were lifted, with authorities saying the danger had passed.

Danger passes in Riyadh and al-Kharj after second wave of alerts

Saudi Civil Defense says the danger has passed in Riyadh and al-Kharj after a second wave of emergency alerts was issued overnight.

The National Early Warning Platform had earlier sent simultaneous warnings to residents in both areas, urging them to follow civil defense instructions and take precautionary measures.

In subsequent posts on X, the authority said the danger had passed and advised residents to continue following official guidance, avoid gathering and filming, and call 911 in case of an emergency.

Saudi Arabia’s repeated danger alerts

Since the Houthis declared a blockade against Saudi shipping in July, Saudi Arabia has faced an expanding campaign of missile and drone attacks amid escalating fighting in Yemen.

In early September, Saudi Civil Defense began issuing danger alerts covering at least 11 cities and governorates: Riyadh, al-Kharj, Mecca, Jeddah, Taif, Khamis Mushait, Abha, Jazan, al-Ula, Yanbu and Sharurah.

At least eight locations have received repeated warnings, with no fewer than 24 locality-specific alerts issued since September 9. Abha and Khamis Mushait have each been placed under alert at least four times, while Taif has received at least three warnings.

Jeddah, al-Ula, Yanbu, Riyadh and al-Kharj have each received at least two alerts. Residents were told to remain indoors, stay away from windows and open areas, and avoid gathering or filming.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group would continue its attacks in response to Saudi air raids in Yemen. The Houthis have denied targeting civilians and have rejected Saudi claims that the group launched attacks on the holy city of Mecca.

Houthi attacks have targeted cities, military bases and energy infrastructure across the kingdom. The first major wave this month wounded 73 civilians, while subsequent attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif wounded another 13 people. Debris from an intercepted drone also killed a Yemeni resident in Taif.

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki has promised to respond “responsibly and firmly” to Houthi missile and drone attacks, saying the coalition would act to protect the kingdom’s sovereignty.

As Houthis grab Bab al-Mandeb, US appears willing to watch from sidelines

US officials have met Houthi representatives in Muscat after the Iran-aligned group seized thousands of square kilometers of territory in Yemen and tightened its grip on the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb strait.

During the talks, the Houthis assured US officials that they had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea, saying restrictions would apply only to vessels linked to Saudi Arabia.

Washington has so far avoided direct military intervention. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly urged US President Donald Trump to launch attacks against the Houthis, but Trump refused, while CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper traveled to Riyadh for coordination talks.

Houthis say Saudi Arabia has launched 26 strikes in 24 hours

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have said Saudi Arabia carried out 26 strikes against areas under the group’s control in the past 24 hours, as the two sides continue trading attacks amid an escalating war in Yemen, according to the AFP news agency.

On Friday, the group claimed Saudi strikes on Houthi-held territory had reached 300 over the past week alone, hitting positions across the areas it controls, AFP reported.

Yemen’s government, backed by Saudi Arabia, said on Friday its forces had killed 30 Houthi rebels and wounded more than 60 in clashes in the al-Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province, one of several fronts where combat has picked up this week.

Saudi-led coalition commander: Protecting international waterways is a collective responsibility

Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Salem al-Shehri, commander of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition (MMDC), has said that “protection of the international waterways is an international responsibility”, addressing the press after the coalition’s fourth planning meeting concluded in Jeddah on Friday.

The MMDC is a 14-country military alliance formed in July to ensure that global waterways surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, including the Gulf of Aden, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, remain open to international traffic.

“Today, we announce the accomplishment of the initial operation capability of the MMDC,” al-Shehri said, adding that “any threat to the international maritime security will be deterred”.

EU in GCC condemns Houthi attacks as “unacceptable”

The delegation of the European Union to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman condemned Houthi attacks in a post on X, stating they are “unacceptable and undermine the global economy”.

The delegation, located in Riyadh, also disclosed that it has been in communication with Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, about ending the fighting in Yemen and restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, demands military de-escalation

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned “in the strongest terms” attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure.

In a statement, the UNSC demanded that the Houthis “immediately cease their military escalation”.

Council members reiterated their earlier condemnation of attacks and threats against shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.

The UNSC expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and affirmed its inherent right to self-defense under international law. The UN body also reaffirmed its commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Houthis ‘focus is on Saudi-linked shipping’ in the Bab al-Mandeb strait

Windward, a shipping firm, has reported a brief dip in traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait from 35 daily transits before the Houthi advance to 25 after, but traffic has already recovered and climbed to 45 transits on Sunday.

The Houthis could still expand their target beyond Saudi ships and tankers but “at the moment, their focus is on Saudi-linked shipping,” Valentin d’Hauthuille, a Middle East analyst at ACLED, a conflict monitor, told Al Jazeera.

But they might “extend the criteria according to which vessels are assessed to be ‘Saudi-linked’ to increase pressure on both Saudi [Arabia] and the global economy”, he said.

The Houthis want Saudi Arabia to lift a long-running blockade on the territory they control.

Yemeni government forces say they shot down Houthi drone in al-Jawf governorate

Yemeni government forces say they have shot down a Houthi drone in the northern governorate of al-Jawf.

A video posted on X claimed to show footage of the downed drone.

Will multinational naval coalition secure Red Sea shipping?

A multinational naval coalition is being prepared for deployment in the Red Sea to protect shipping, reportedly under a unified command.

Sultan Barakat, an academic at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said the announcement would test the commitment of countries that have said they will take part.

“In our region, we’ve had many calls for lots of coalitions led by Saudi Arabia and others, and none of them has materialized in any terms,” Barakat said.

He said the force was unlikely to be deployed as long as the Houthis refrained from attacking international shipping in the Red Sea.

Barakat added that the multinational model being prepared for the Bab al-Mandeb could not be replicated in the Strait of Hormuz, where tensions involving Iran are more complex.

Saudi Aramco tells two European refining customers they won’t receive crude next month: US media outlet reports

Saudi Arabia’s national oil company Saudi Aramco has informed at least two of its European oil refining customers that they will not be sent crude oil next month, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News.

The report comes after Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its East-West pipeline last week due to a drone attack.

The closure of the pipeline, which had increased capacity to help mitigate the disruption to exports in Hormuz, dealt another major blow to the kingdom’s oil exports.

Military options against Houthis ‘limited’ due to mountainous terrain

Yasmeen al-Eryani, executive director for knowledge production at the Sanaa Center think tank, said that military options against the Houthis are currently limited because much of the fighting is taking place in mountainous terrain that is difficult for opposing forces to access and hold.

“The main confrontations are now in the commanding mountains of Kahbub, and once these are in complete control of the Houthis, it is very difficult to push them back,” she said.

Holding the high ground gives the Houthis a significant military advantage, allowing them to retreat from coastal areas into the mountains and potentially return later, added al-Eryani.

For now, she said, containing the group may be a more realistic option than defeating it militarily. “Without controlling the peaks that are parallel to the coast, you will not be able to control the coast,” said al-Eryani.

Houthi control of Bab al-Mandeb remains incomplete unless they take Kahbub mountains

Yemeni government forces have said they targeted Houthi positions in three air strikes at the Umm Rish camp and Aqabat Melah in southern Marib governorate.

The camp and the positions targeted serve as support centers and positions, as well as movement routes for the Houthis on the southern front.

If we move to Lahej governorate, specifically to the front around the mountainous heights of Kahbub, Yemeni government forces say they inflicted heavy losses on the Houthis and prevented them from taking control of these strategic heights.

These commanding heights overlook the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the surrounding areas. Control of the strait remains incomplete unless these strategic heights are also controlled.

Houthis ‘controlling’ pace of escalation in Yemen conflict

Yasmeen al-Eryani, executive director for knowledge production at the Sanaa Center think tank, said the Houthis have for months been setting the pace and scale of escalation in their confrontation with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

“You could see that the Houthis are determining the timelines and the levels of the escalation,” al-Eryani said.

“So, depending on the current situation, it seems that the Houthis are the ones in control.”

The analyst traced the latest tensions back to July, when an Iranian Mahan Air flight resumed direct travel between Tehran and Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

She said tensions escalated with Saudi Arabia after a subsequent Mahan Air flight was prevented from landing in Sanaa, prompting Houthi retaliation and raising fears of a broader confrontation.

Battles around Taiz complicated by rugged terrain and intermittent rainfall

In Taiz city, government forces carried out early-morning air attacks on Houthi positions, destroying weapons and armored vehicles used to shell government troops elsewhere.

Along the mountain chain, near al-Kadaha, Maqbanah and al-Waziiya, some of the most difficult fighting is taking place because of the terrain.

Government forces are saying they’re advancing and have retaken several positions, helped by residents who are supporting them.

Front lines that fall one day are sometimes taken the next, backed by government air power. The battles are intense and complicated by rugged terrain and intermittent rain.

Report of smoke rising near Riyadh airport

Smoke has been seen rising near Riyadh airport, Reuters has reported, citing a witness.

There has been no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

People in Marib ‘taking steps to fortify their land’ in face of Houthi advances

Abdulkader Onin, an assistant professor at the University of Saba Region, about the mood in Marib, located about 120km away from Yemen’s capital Sanaa, where the Houthis are trying to make advances.

“The Houthis have been pushing towards Marib for a long time, say, for the last few years,” Orin said. “Even after the truce, announced in 2022, they did not stop because they believe that it is the last castle of the government.

“The sense among the people is a lot of hope here,” he said, adding that “they still hold to their position that, whatever the Houthis do, whatever the number of forces that are deployed to take over Marib, the people are assured that it won’t happen.”

Onin noted that the Houthis have made similar attempts several times in past years to take the city, but to no avail.

“The long fight between the two sides tells us that it won’t be easy.” he said. “The people here feel the risk, and are taking steps to fortify their land.”

Displaced Yemeni families struggle as fighting forces them to flee with little aid

The fighting is driving the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians from the western coast areas, both south of Hodeidah and in Taiz, especially in al-Waziiya.

Some families are sheltering seven displaced households in a single home.

The most vulnerable, children, women and the elderly, are already bearing the brunt.

Many were already displaced once and have been forced to flee again as the fighting intensifies. Their humanitarian situation is extremely difficult.

They left in a rush with almost no belongings after the joint Saudi and Yemeni government forces announced a redeployment.

Most have received no formal assistance, relying on community initiatives and donations from individuals.

Yemeni army says it stopped Houthi attack in Marib, killing 12

The armed forces of Yemen’s internationally recognised government say fighters thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt in the al-Fuliahan sector, in southern Marib, killing 12 Houthi fighters and injuring others.

The official account of the Yemeni Armed Forces released the statement on X. The statement said the remaining Houthi fighters fled the scene.

Yemen’s Houthis say attacked ‘sensitive’ sites in Riyadh

The armed forces of Yemen’s Houthis have issued a statement via spokesman Ameen Hayyan, saying they attacked what they called “sensitive” sites in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones, and also an ARAMCO facility in Yanbu.

There has been no confirmation of any information in the Houthi statement by Saudi Arabia.

Saudi-led coalition forces: Air defenses intercepted Houthi ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh

Saudi-led coalition forces spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki has given a response to earlier Houthi claims that the group targeted “sensitive” sites in Saudi Arabia earlier today with missiles and drones.

Here are some of the key points he made:

• Saudi air defenses intercept and destroy a ballistic missile launched by the “terrorist” Houthi militia toward Riyadh.
• The Houthis are escalating attempts to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in the capital.
• Houthi attempts to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in the cities of Taif, Baish, Farasan, and Yanbu have been thwarted. Air defense forces thwarted the Houthi militia’s hostile attempts before they reached their targets.
• The Coalition Command affirms its right to take appropriate measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia’s conduct, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

UN and GCC chiefs condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in meeting

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has received Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi in New York, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The two condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the targeting of civilian objects, and the threat they pose to security and stability in the region, the GCC said.

They also reviewed cooperation between the council and the UN and discussed ways to strengthen it, along with a number of other regional issues.

Guterres praised the Gulf states for their development and for their regional and international efforts to promote security, according to the GCC.

Jordan condemns Houthi ballistic missile attack on Riyadh

Jordan has condemned a Houthi ballistic missile attack targeting the Saudi capital, Riyadh, which it says was intercepted and destroyed by Saudi air defenses.

In a statement, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned what it described as attempts by the Houthis to target civilians and civilian sites in Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.

The ministry called the attacks a “blatant violation”, as spokesperson Fouad Majali said Jordan stood in “absolute solidarity” with Saudi Arabia.

Egypt condemns attacks on Riyadh, backs Saudi Arabia

Egypt has condemned “in the strongest terms” attacks on Riyadh on Saturday morning, describing them as a “flagrant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s security and stability and of international law.

In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks represented a “dangerous escalation” that could increase regional tensions and further destabilize the region.

Cairo said it “categorically rejects” any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia’s security or sovereignty and expressed full solidarity with the kingdom.

It also backed any measures Saudi Arabia takes to preserve its security, stability and territorial integrity, adding that the security of Saudi Arabia and Egypt is “indivisible”.

US urges citizens to exercise caution across Middle East as Saudi-Houthi fighting could ‘escalate rapidly’

The United States has warned its citizens in Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and Jordan to exercise “heightened vigilance”, warning that “the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation”.

The alerts pointed to fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, including attacks affecting civilian airports, warning that “this military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly”.

In separate security alerts dated September 19, US diplomatic missions in the nine countries said the security environment in the Middle East poses “the risk of flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions as regional tensions rise”.

They also warned that Iran and groups supportive of Tehran could target US interests overseas or locations associated with Americans.

US citizens were advised to monitor airline and airport operations, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings and follow instructions from local authorities.