• Yemeni government forces have carried out 414 precision strikes targeting Houthi positions over the past 24 hours, according to the armed forces spokesman, Majid al-Nuzaili.

Saudi-backed government claims Houthis using modified cruise missiles

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has alleged that the Tehran-backed Houthis have modified Iranian air Defense weapons into loitering cruise missiles with the assistance of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Yemeni government has warned that the capability of such missiles – which operate on a heat-tracking system, it is alleged – in practice threatens civilian air traffic over Yemen and the crucial Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have ramped up attacks on Saudi Arabia as they fight Yemeni government forces. On Thursday, Riyadh said it intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif in western Saudi Arabia and the Yanbu port area on the Red Sea.

The Houthis also said they attacked “a sensitive target” in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones in the two operations.

In 2018, Iran had introduced the loitering ‘358’ surface-to-air missile. It is a dual-use missile, which can function as both a loitering missile and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), was officially unveiled for the first time at that time.

The dual-mode UAV, also known as the 358 Saqhar, combines the functionality of a kamikaze drone and an anti-aircraft-guided missile, making it a significant force on the battlefield.

It is unclear whether the claim concerns this weapon, as the Saudi-backed government keeps saying without detailing its claim.

Yemeni FM says Houthis expanding ‘Red Sea Axis’

Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba has said the Iran-backed Houthis have expanded cooperation with aligned groups across the Horn of Africa, describing the emerging coalition as a “dangerous ‘Red Sea Axis’”.

In a post on X, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry said, “The evidence is clear: weapons transfers, training, smuggling and shared operations are connecting actors once treated as separate threats.”

Yemeni FM meets Turkey's Charge d'Affaires

Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah Abdulaziz al-Zouba has met with the Turkish Embassy’s charge d’affaires in Yemen, Amirullah Isler, to discuss regional developments and ways to strengthen ties between “the two brotherly countries,” according to a post shared on X by Yemen’s Foreign Ministry.

Al-Zouba stressed the need for closer political and diplomatic coordination to restore the state and bolster regional stability. She cited Houthi threats to the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb navigation, and international trade, warning of the group’s “indiscriminate launching of missiles,” that do not “distinguish between civilian and military targets”.

The recent escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has brought the resolve of the trilateral Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan, into question.

The Turkish envoy reaffirmed Ankara’s “steadfast supportive stance” toward the Yemeni government and the country’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Saudi crown prince says kingdom will not hesitate to respond to any threat

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has said the kingdom will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat or attack that seeks to undermine it.

MBS also reaffirmed support for the Yemeni government to extend its authority throughout the country, restore stability and confront the Houthi attacks, accusing the group of choosing “chaos and destruction”.

The crown prince condemned continued Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territories, as well as the “repeated violations” of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.

While delivering the annual royal speech during the opening of the Shura Council, he noted that the establishment of the “Mecca Defense Pact” between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan aimed to shield the region from escalating conflict.

The kingdom has also initiated the establishment of a “multinational defensive maritime coalition” to protect international waterways, MBS said, while rejecting its exploitation as a tool for political or economic pressure.

Saudi Arabia not to compromise on security as Houthis choose ‘chaos’: MBS

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has promised not to compromise on the kingdom’s security in the face of attacks by the Houthi armed group, saying the Yemeni rebels chose “chaos and destruction, threatening the Yemeni people and the region”.

In a speech delivered Wednesday on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during the opening of the third year of the ninth session of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, Prince Mohammed said the country “will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat or attack aimed at undermining” its security.

He pointed to the trilateral Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Turkiye and Pakistan that was formalized in August, saying the alliance shows the Saudi leadership’s intent “to strengthen regional stability, shield it from the repercussions of tensions and conflicts and coordinate efforts”.

At the same time, the crown prince said, Saudi Arabia is making “every possible effort to de-escalate tensions and support diplomatic solutions without the slightest compromise on preserving our security”.