• Yemeni government forces say they have struck Houthi fighters and supply lines near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and in al-Bayda governorate, and shot down a Houthi drone in southwestern Taiz.
• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he has agreed to a request from Saudi Arabia to provide defensive air-to-air refueling for a limited period to help stabilise the wider region.

Yemen condemns Houthi attack on market in Lahj

Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights has condemned a Houthi attack on a commercial market in Lahj province, in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, the market was targeted by two ballistic missiles that struck about an hour apart at midday and resulted in a number of civilian injuries as well as damage to commercial properties and vehicles.

The ministry also said that surveillance footage captured the attack and that initial data indicated the missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas in the al-Sabrah district of Ibb province.

Saudi-led coalition launches air attacks on Houthi positions west of Taiz

Yemeni government forces say the Saudi-led coalition has launched intense air attacks on Houthi sites, gatherings and weapons depots west of Taiz province.

Saudi Arabia declares ‘end of danger’ in Najran after alert sent

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency says the danger in the Najran region has passed, minutes after a warning alert was issued.

“For your safety, continue following civil defence instructions and avoid gathering and filming,” the agency said.

Such alerts have been frequently sent over the past two weeks during an increase in drone and missile attacks launched at the kingdom by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

G7 foreign ministers call on Iran to end support for Houthis

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers have called on Iran to end military support to Houthi forces in Yemen, saying such assistance constitutes a dangerous pattern of escalation that puts international trade and global stability at risk.

In a statement following a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US condemned continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia.

“We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith,” the ministers said.

The G7 is an informal grouping of major industrialised democracies that meets annually to discuss global policy and economic security, alongside other pressing issues of international interest.

Saudi foreign minister, French counterpart address regional challenges at GCC meeting

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has attended a ministerial meeting between Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states and France in New York.

In a statement posted on X, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the meeting focused on regional developments and their repercussions for security and stability.

Discussions also covered areas of cooperation and joint coordination between GCC member states and France in addressing current challenges, alongside a review of key topics slated for discussion during the United Nations General Assembly.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan reaffirm commitment to cooperation under Mecca pact

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reiterated their commitment to strengthening cooperation under the Mecca defence pact, according to a statement from Islamabad.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar made the remarks during a meeting in New York, where they are attending the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.

The two foreign ministers “discussed matters pertaining to the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation under the agreement and advancing regional peace, stability, and security,” said the statement.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year signed a bilateral defence pact, which subsequently led to the signing of a trilateral Mecca defence agreement last month, including Turkiye.

Dar expressed Pakistan’s “steadfast solidarity with the Kingdom and condemned the recent attacks targeting Saudi Arabia”.

In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has faced attacks from Yemen’s Houthi group, and the two sides have engaged in aerial, missile and drone attacks amid the ongoing US-Iran war.

UN says 230,000 Yemenis at risk of displacement if fighting continues

The UNHCR representative in Yemen has said that up to 230,000 Yemenis could be displaced if the fighting in the war-torn nation continues.

Earlier today, Yemeni government forces said the Saudi-led coalition launched intense air attacks on Houthi sites, gatherings and weapons depots west of Taiz province.

‘Dangerous times’: UK to provide Saudi Arabia with military support

The UK has agreed to provide increased military support to Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

“We’re doing it for national security reasons in support of our own national security,” Defence Minister Luke Pollard told Sky News.

“In dangerous times, good friends stand together,” he added, insisting the support would be in compliance with international law.

A British tanker plane will provide “defensive” air-to-air refueling for Saudi warplanes to help the country defend against Houthi attacks, Pollard said.

UK PM agrees to Saudi request for refueling support

UK’s PM Andy Burnham says he had agreed ⁠to a ⁠request from Saudi Arabia to provide defensive air-to-air refueling for a limited time period, a move he described as helping ⁠to stabilize the wider region.

“Because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack… and we need to ⁠keep those pathways open, and hence ⁠our agreement to the request,” he said.

Britain and Saudi Arabia have been close military allies for decades, with Britain serving as one of the kingdom’s largest arms suppliers.

Our comment on the above:

This British activity is facilitating in aggression and violence in the act of the Saudi war on the Houthis. This makes the United Kingdom responsible under states responsibility laws.

Thousands of displaced people arrive in Marib as fighting intensifies in Yemen

Clashes and artillery shelling continue between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis in the governorates of al-Jawf and Marib.

Marib has recorded the arrival of 3,000 displaced people.

Heavy fighting continues in 3 key regions of Yemen

Fierce clashes are ongoing between Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis in the cities of Taiz, Marib and al-Jawf, including exchanges of artillery fire.

A source in Yemen’s government forces told Al Jazeera: “Warplanes carried out intensive air strikes on positions and weapons belonging to the Ansar Allah Houthi group in western Taiz governorate.

“We repelled an attack by the Houthis in Bani Bakari – on the al-Ashrouh front in Jabal Habashi district – west of Taiz.”

Yemeni forces under attack as Houthi drones drop munitions

Authorities in Taiz have raised the alert level and deployed additional security personnel. The escalation in the south and the west of Yemen is ongoing with heavy artillery and missile fire.

Reportedly, neither side has made significant territorial gains. Some attacks have hit populated areas, forcing people to flee.

The situation is particularly severe along the west coast, where authorities say the number of displaced people is increasing daily. Government and international humanitarian organisations are struggling to reach affected areas because of the fighting.

Another notable development is the increased use of drones. Government forces say they have been shooting down drones, including some carrying mortar rounds.

Rubio says US will ‘live up to our commitments’ on defence agreement with Saudi Arabia

US Senator Marco Rubio has pledged that Washington will stand by its security commitments to Saudi Arabia amid the fighting with Yemen’s Houthis.

“We have a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia. We intend to live up to our commitments on it. We will,” Rubio told US media outlet Fox News.

“That is a very dangerous and complicated conflict,” he added.

Saudi crude oil exports hit 4-month high in July

Saudi Arabian crude oil exports in July rose by ⁠3.3 percent ⁠from June to 4.125 million barrels per day (bpd), the highest level since March as the US-Israel war on Iran kicked off.

Data from the Joint Organizations Data Initiative showed crude production in the kingdom increased to 8.135 million bpd from 7.122 million bpd in June.

“Saudi crude and product exports increased in July as regional tensions moderated,” UBS analyst ‌Giovanni Staunovo said although he added exports could be weaker in August, particularly from Red Sea terminals, because of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.

Drone strikes forced Saudi Arabia to shut down its East-West Pipeline on September 13.

Russia’s Putin and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince discuss Gulf security: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which they discussed the security situation in the Gulf and the need to keep vital waterways open, according to the Kremlin.

It said the two leaders held a detailed exchange of views on the situation in the Middle East and emphasized that a political and diplomatic settlement remains the only viable path forward.

They also “underscored the need for a swift cessation of hostilities” in Yemen amid the deteriorating military and political situation there, the statement said.

“The importance of ensuring the safe and unimpeded passage of vessels through the region’s international waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz, was emphasized,” the Kremlin said.

Explosions rock city of Taiz in Yemen

Loud explosions have rocked the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen.

Earlier on Tuesday, authorities in Taiz said they had raised the alert level for the city and deployed additional security personnel.

Saudi king condemns Houthi targeting of Mecca as ‘heinous crime’

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud says the Houthis’ attempted targeting of Mecca violates the sanctity of holy sites and provokes Muslims worldwide.

During a cabinet meeting, the Saudi monarch condemned the Houthis’ actions, which he described as “a heinous crime” committed by a “terrorist militia”, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Arabia said a drone launched by the Yemeni group towards Mecca was intercepted and destroyed. The Houthis denied attacking the Muslim holy city.

Houthis shell northern neighborhood of Taiz city

Houthi forces renewed the shelling of the Jabal Jarrah neighborhood in northern Taiz city.

Loud explosions rocked the northern neighborhoods of the city.

The bombardment comes days after a similar attack targeted the Judicial Complex building in Jabal Jarrah with mortar shells fired by the Houthis positioned in al-Harir area east of Taiz.

Senior Iranian lawmaker says ‘new regional order is being born’

Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, says “a new regional order is being born” as the Houthis in Yemen seek to prevent Saudi Arabia from exporting its oil via the Red Sea.

The Houthis are seeking to take control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast after increasing their grip on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait during a lightning offensive almost two weeks ago.

The group, backed by Iran, seeks to pressure Riyadh to lift its blockade of areas of Yemen that are under its control.

Yemeni gov’t forces says Houthis targeted in al-Bayda, Mocha

Yemeni government forces say they targeted Houthis and their equipment in the provinces of al-Bayda and Mocha.