Saudi Arabia warned Tuesday (September 15, 2026) it will react “firmly” to Yemen’s Houthis, after a series of attacks carried out by the pro-Iranian rebels using ballistic missiles and drones wounded 13 civilians in the country’s south.
The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed government forces since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea. The group seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait last week, which has become vital as the wider U.S.-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, in a significant blow to Yemeni government forces.
The Saudi Arabian Civil Defence sent an all-clear on Tuesday (September 15) after issuing alerts for potential danger in six cities, including Yanbu, the kingdom’s main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded. Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla and Taif after the areas received emergency alerts amid an uptick in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis.