Yemen

Axios reports Saudi Arabia is planning a major military offensive against Yemen’s Houthis aimed at retaking key territory and breaking the group’s stranglehold on Red Sea shipping lanes. Multiple outlets report Saudi plans to commit roughly 100,000 troops to the operation, while the US has for now opted not to join. The decision highlights Washington’s complex balancing between Middle East proxy conflicts and global maritime security.

According to US Central Command and CBS News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented a seven-day plan to the United States on Friday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart broader ceasefire talks. Analysts see the timing as closely tied to the approaching US midterm elections, although US officials signaled they are not in a rush to accept the proposed terms.

Pakistan and Turkiye Move Closer to Saudi Camp as Red Sea Conflict Reshapes Alliances Core Summary Pakistan and Turkiye are reportedly moving closer to joining Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi movement, with the two countries holding talks on intelligence sharing, logistics, and possible joint deployments. If either country formally intervenes, the long-running Red Sea and Gulf conflict will deepen, with significant knock-on effects for global shipping, energy markets, and the internal coordination of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. ...

The Guardian reported that US President Trump called off a major airstrike campaign against the Houthis at the last minute, after which the Houthis moved to seize strategically significant terrain across multiple parts of Yemen. The rapid shift has prompted widespread international concern about Middle Eastern security, the coherence of US Middle East policy, and the safety of Red Sea shipping.

The Guardian reported on September 12 that Yemen’s Houthis have rapidly advanced along the Red Sea coast, forcing roughly 50,000 Yemeni civilians to flee their homes. The displaced are moving toward safer inland provinces and the borders of southern neighbors, in the largest displacement wave since the group seized the port of Mokha and other strategic coastal sites.

Multiple international media outlets report that Yemen’s Houthi forces have recently captured the strategically important port city of Mokha on the Red Sea coast, further expanding their control along the vital Red Sea shipping corridor. The move marks another direct threat from the Houthis to the international shipping system beyond Yemen’s internal conflict, with global maritime costs rising in tandem with escalating Middle East geopolitical tensions.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, threatening to disrupt one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes and further escalate regional tensions.

Somali pirates hijack the MT Eureka oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen’s coast and steer it toward Somalia, marking the second tanker hijacking in the area within 10 days.