Yemen war escalates as widening Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia trigger first warning in Mecca

The war between the Houthi terror group and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, as well as its main backer, Saudi Arabia, continues to escalate in several areas.

On Tuesday, Saudi authorities issued several alerts due to possible attacks across several governorates, including Jeddah and Taif, as well as in the holy city of Mecca – for the first time in the current conflict. The alerts were lifted relatively quickly, without reports of injuries or damage.

In the past few days, the Houthis had widened their attacks using ballistic missiles and drones against targets in Saudi Arabia. On Monday, authorities said that at least 13 people were wounded in attacks in the southern part of the country, which borders Yemen.

The UN refugee agency warned Tuesday that “rapidly escalating hostilities along Yemen’s western coast have displaced more than 100,000 people inside the country and forced thousands more to seek safety across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in Djibouti.”

NEW: Iran’s apparent challenges in consolidating control over the Strait of Hormuz are likely driving the regional campaign that Iran is currently waging against the United States and its allies in the region. Iran’s proposal for the management of the strait, which attempts to… pic.twitter.com/5auNyZoIrD

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) September 15, 2026

Fighting between the sides intensified over the past few weeks, with the Houthis reportedly capturing several key areas including the port of al-Mokha, the entire western Red Sea coast that borders the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as several islands located in the strait.

Saudi Arabia also suffered another significant blow when Iraq-based militias that are backed by Iran damaged the key East-West oil pipeline that the kingdom had used to reroute exports from the blocked Hormuz Strait in the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Saudi Arabia stated it will react “firmly” to the Houthis, after a series of recent attacks. The Houthis claimed a “large-scale” attack with “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones” against the King Khalid airbase in southern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed that the kingdom launched over 50 airstrikes in retaliation.

However, there continue to be contradictory claims regarding the extent of Saudi airstrikes and the exact situation on the ground. For example, some reports continue to claim that the Houthis have not firmly established full control over the coast near the Bab el-Mandeb.

In addition, the Houthis have continuously claimed that Saudi Arabia is conducting dozens of airstrikes, while government sources have told news outlets that the lack of airstrikes has enabled the Houthi’s lighting offensive down the coast.

A Houthi ballistic missile hit Raghwan district, northwest of #Marib, early this morning, residents.#Yemen pic.twitter.com/C6QTY46Q10

— Ali Al-Sakani | علي السكني (@Alsakaniali) September 14, 2026

U.S. media also reported that President Donald Trump declined an urgent Saudi request to help with airstrikes, and that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had opposed a large-scale Saudi air campaign.

Meanwhile, Yemeni government troops said Tuesday they made advances and retook some areas from the Houthis in the contested Taiz province, near the port of Mokha.

According to Mohammed al-Basha, lead analyst of the Basha Report Risk Advisory firm, airstrikes also targeted the Houthi troops in the Dhubab and Al Khawkha areas. In general, the Houthis apparently haven’t managed to consolidate their gains on the ground.

Pro-govt Giants Forces destroyed a Houthi BMP armored vehicle on the Kahboub front near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.#Yemen https://t.co/EM0t8P70DS pic.twitter.com/QRbsgWw0yR

— Ali Al-Sakani | علي السكني (@Alsakaniali) September 13, 2026

The conflict now also threatens to drag in more countries in the region, though Saudi Arabia has not received any tangible help from its allies across the region so far.

Channel 12 News’ Amit Segal on Tuesday cited “regional diplomatic sources” who confirmed reports that CENTCOM is coordinating intelligence sharing between Israel and the Saudi military to help it target the Houthi troops.

Several reports have indicated that the Iranian regime is actively supporting the Houthis’ advance, while Trump himself confirmed that Tehran was “likely” behind the attack on the Saudi pipeline.

Flight trackers showed that an Iranian government aircraft that usually carries senior government officials landed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, indicating ongoing negotiations between the regional heavyweights.

From @AlsisiOfficial: The official spokesperson stated that the meeting reflected full agreement between President El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman #MBS that relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia should remain at the highest level within the Arab world.

The… pic.twitter.com/i1FKOc7Pi8

— Basha باشا (@BashaReport) September 15, 2026

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) meanwhile traveled to Cairo to discuss the situation with Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, a close ally. Egypt is also impacted by the potential closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as the Suez Canal, which is crucial for the Egyptian economy, lies at the opposite end of the Red Sea.

Sisi’s spokesman said after the meeting that it “reflected full agreement” between the leaders regarding the importance of relations between their nations.

“The two leaders also reaffirmed the Egyptian-Saudi position on protecting the freedom and security of maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea… They agreed that the security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states is part of Egypt’s national security.”

Even Qatar, long a close ally of Iran, warned against the closure of the waterway. Qatar foreign ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashmi told reporters on Tuesday that a closure would be “catastrophic for the entire world. And we are already seeing the consequences… so Qatar is pushing for diplomacy, dialogue.”

“The world is suffering enough with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, so we cannot also afford to add the Bab el-Mandeb into that equation,” he added.

According to an unconfirmed report by the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Saudi Arabia even tried to use extremist Jihadi groups from Syria in the fight against the Houthis.

Houthi sources told the newspaper that the new Syrian government participated in training Salafi factions in southern Saudi Arabia, with the help of Turkey.