Iran’s conflict with the United States and Israel has entered its second month, with Iran continuing retaliatory attacks on U.S. installations. In solidarity with Iran, Yemen’s Houthi movement has threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to increase pressure on Israel and the United States, according to Al Jazeera.

Reporting from Sana’a, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Youssef Mawri said Houthi attacks on southern Israel have intensified. Houthi leaders declared that their operations will not stop until their conditions are met, including Israel’s acceptance of a ceasefire in Gaza and the cessation of Israel’s participation in U.S. military actions against Iran.

Senior Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti stated that the group still has several strategies to escalate the conflict, one of which could be the complete closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The European Union’s maritime security agency has urged all vessels to avoid Yemeni waters due to renewed threats from Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The warning follows reports that the Houthis may resume attacks on commercial ships, particularly in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The alert intensified after the group launched missiles toward Israel on Saturday and issued fresh threats of further assaults.

According to a report from the EU naval mission ‘Aspidis,’ commercial ships linked to the United States or Israel should stay away from Yemeni waters until the threat level decreases. The report classified the risk as ‘high’ for Israel-related vessels and ‘medium’ for those without direct ties to the United States or Israel.

Analysts cited in the source noted that the Houthis have not yet fully exploited their most powerful tactic—disrupting global trade through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to global trade routes. Any instability in this area could have significant repercussions for the world economy.

A Houthi-affiliated official has warned that the group may close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, effectively halting oil exports through the Red Sea. The statement, made by Houthi Information Ministry spokesperson Muhammad Mansour, described the closure as one of several options under consideration. The strait, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is about 26 kilometers wide at its narrowest point and connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

According to the report, approximately 12 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes through Bab al-Mandeb, while 20 percent moves through the Strait of Hormuz, which is under Iranian control. If both straits were closed, global oil supply disruptions could reach 32 percent. Saudi Arabia has been using its east-west pipeline as an alternative route to maintain exports and stabilize oil prices.

Mansour linked the potential closure to rising tensions involving Israel and the United States, adding that a final decision could be made soon.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned that it could engage in direct military intervention if specific conditions arise. Spokesperson Yahya Sari stated that their 'finger is on the trigger' for direct military involvement, according to a statement cited by Al Jazeera. He outlined five points urging the United States and Israel to respond to international diplomatic efforts to halt wars against countries within the so-called 'axis of resistance,' including Iran and Lebanon.

Sari described the ongoing aggression as unjust, oppressive, and irrational, claiming it harms global and regional stability and the economy. He called for an end to attacks on Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, as well as the lifting of what he termed an unjust blockade on Yemen. He also demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and the assurance of humanitarian aid.

The spokesperson further warned that any new measures tightening the blockade on Yemen would provoke a direct response, signaling heightened risks of escalation in the region.

Yemen’s Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, has threatened to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in support of Iran as the joint U.S.-Israeli offensive against Tehran enters its 16th day. Houthi military official Abed al-Thawr said on Saturday that if a decision for intervention is made, their first step could be to impose a naval blockade against the United States and Israel. Citing Press TV, he added that commercial ships, warships, and even aircraft carriers heading toward those countries could be detained.

Al-Thawr further stated that the Houthis are considering a complete closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to all vessels bound for Israeli ports. The joint U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran began on February 28, targeting Tehran and several major Iranian cities. The White House claimed the strikes were aimed at neutralizing Iran’s potential missile and nuclear threats.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched counterattacks on Israeli facilities and U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Reports also claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials were killed in the strikes.

A severe hunger crisis is unfolding in Yemen, where more than half of the population—around 18 million people—is projected to face worsening food insecurity by early 2026. According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), nearly every surveyed household identified food as their most urgent need, with 80 percent reporting severe hunger. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that one million more people risk slipping into life-threatening hunger, and famine pockets affecting over 40,000 people could emerge within two months.

Years of conflict, economic collapse, and climate shocks have crippled Yemen’s ability to produce or import food. The country relies on imports for up to 90 percent of staple grains, while fighting has displaced rural families and disrupted supply chains. Erratic rainfall and rising temperatures have further reduced agricultural productivity, leaving many families surviving on one meal a day.

Humanitarian funding has dropped to less than 25 percent of required levels, the lowest in a decade, with nutrition programs receiving only 10 percent of needed support. The IRC urges donors to urgently restore and expand food and nutrition funding, prioritize treatment for malnourished children and mothers, and strengthen systems to track and respond to emerging hunger hotspots.

At least 16 people, including eight women and children, were killed in a collision between a bus and a truck in southern Yemen. The accident occurred on Tuesday in the Lahmar area of Al-Mahfad district. The impact caused a fire that engulfed the small bus, leaving no survivors among the passengers.

According to a statement cited by Reuters from security officials, the crash took place on a dangerous curve of the road. Following the collision, a gas cylinder in the bus exploded, igniting a fire that spread rapidly and prevented passengers from escaping. The report also recalled that last year, 17 people died in a similar accident on a mountainous road in Abyan province.

Yemen’s road network has deteriorated severely after more than a decade of conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels, contributing to frequent and deadly traffic accidents across the country.

At least five members of a Saudi-backed pro-government armed group were killed in a bomb attack targeting their convoy in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. Officials said Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri, commander of the unit, was injured in the explosion. The attack occurred in the Ja’aoula area north of Aden when a car bomb detonated as the convoy of the Second Giants Brigade passed by. According to medical sources, Shukri sustained shrapnel wounds to his leg and is receiving treatment.

The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council confirmed the casualties in a statement published by Yemen’s Saba news agency, adding that three others were wounded. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The incident comes amid ongoing tensions and clashes among rival pro-government factions in southern Yemen.

The Saudi-led military coalition condemned the bombing, pledging full support to Yemeni security forces in identifying and prosecuting those responsible. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen also denounced the attack as “provocative and unjustified.”

Saudi Arabia has announced a $500 million financial aid package to support Yemen’s development, particularly in the southern regions. The announcement was made by Mohammed Al-Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen and supervisor of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman reaffirmed Riyadh’s support during a meeting with Yemen’s internationally recognized prime minister.

According to a statement on social media platform X, the new projects will include the construction of hospitals, schools, and roads, along with fuel grants to boost electricity generation. The statement described the initiative as a reflection of Saudi Arabia’s goodwill to enhance Yemen’s security, stability, and prospects for a better future.

The announcement follows recent reports that Yemen’s internationally recognized government regained control of key southern and eastern areas previously held by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The conflict had heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as Yemen’s government accused the UAE of backing the STC.

Yemen’s Prime Minister Salem bin Breik has resigned, and Shaya Mohsen Jindani has been appointed as his successor. Jindani previously served as the country’s foreign minister. According to Yemen’s official news agency Saba, bin Breik submitted his resignation to the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council on Thursday, which promptly accepted it. Within hours, the council announced Jindani’s appointment as the new prime minister.

The political backdrop in Yemen remains complex. Since 2014, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have controlled the capital Sana’a, forcing then-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to seek refuge in Saudi Arabia. In response, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemeni government forces formed a coalition to restore Hadi’s government and counter the Houthis.

The coalition has been conducting military operations against the Houthis since 2015. Nearly eleven years into the conflict, northern Yemen remains under Houthi control, while the Saudi-backed Presidential Council governs the southern region.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), announced that its forces have regained control of two strategic southern provinces from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) after a month of fighting. The UAE-backed STC had seized the oil-rich Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces near the Saudi border in early December 2025. Saudi Arabia, which supports the PLC, viewed the move as a national security threat and responded with airstrikes on STC positions, including the key port of Mukalla.

The PLC, led by Rashad al-Alimi since 2022, operates from Aden and aims to unify anti-Houthi factions. The STC seeks an independent southern Yemen and rejected reports of its dissolution after its leader was dismissed from the PLC in January 2026. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to control much of northern and western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea coast.

According to the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, the Houthis hold northwestern Yemen, while the government claims most of the rest. The UN reports that 17 million Yemenis face severe food shortages, with millions displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi announced on Saturday that all military and security forces in southern Yemen will now operate under the direct command of the Saudi-led coalition. The decision follows a failed offensive by UAE-backed separatist forces. Al-Alimi said in a televised address that a Supreme Military Committee will be formed under the coalition’s command to oversee the training, arming, and management of all southern forces and armed groups.

The announcement comes after Saudi-backed Yemeni troops regained control of large southern areas from the UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had seized two key provinces in December. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long been allies in the coalition against Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who still control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. However, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi now back different factions within the internationally recognized Presidential Council, complicating Yemen’s southern political and military landscape.

The STC’s future remains uncertain after reports of its leader’s departure and conflicting claims over its dissolution. Thousands rallied in Aden in support of the STC despite a ban on gatherings, demanding independence for southern Yemen.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government has announced the recovery of the country’s southern and eastern regions from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). On Saturday, Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), said government forces had regained control of two key provinces and now hold full authority over southern Yemen. He specifically assured citizens that Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces had been restored under government control.

Al-Alimi added that former STC members have been invited to Riyadh for discussions on Yemen’s future and that all military forces will now operate under the Saudi-led coalition’s command. His statement followed a Saudi-supported campaign in late December that expelled STC forces from Hadramaut and Al-Mahra, two provinces bordering Saudi Arabia and comprising nearly half of Yemen’s territory.

Meanwhile, thousands of STC supporters rallied in the group’s stronghold of Aden, particularly in Khor Maksar district, chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.

The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group in Yemen, has announced its dissolution following meetings in Saudi Arabia. Representatives of the STC were in Riyadh for discussions aimed at resolving unrest in southern Yemen, according to Al Jazeera. The group declared that all its main and subsidiary bodies would be disbanded and its offices inside and outside the country closed.

The Saudi-led coalition claimed that STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled to the United Arab Emirates instead of attending scheduled peace talks in Riyadh. The coalition stated that al-Zubaidi traveled by boat from Yemen’s Aden port to Berbera in Somaliland late Wednesday night. The STC praised Saudi Arabia for organizing the talks, saying the initiative could help ease tensions with the UAE.

Recent weeks have seen escalating violence between STC forces and Saudi-backed troops around Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Tensions intensified after a Saudi-led airstrike targeted a UAE arms shipment at Mukalla port in southern Yemen.

Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi has fled to the United Arab Emirates, according to a statement issued Thursday by the Saudi-led coalition. The coalition said al-Zubaidi left Yemen after attempting to seize control of several areas and advance toward independence. Based on what it described as reliable intelligence, the coalition reported that al-Zubaidi and his associates escaped during the night.

The coalition further stated that the group traveled from Aden to Abu Dhabi using both boats and aircraft. The information was reported from Riyadh by the AFP news agency. The announcement marks a significant development in Yemen’s ongoing internal divisions, as al-Zubaidi has been a key figure in the country’s separatist movement.

The coalition’s statement did not specify al-Zubaidi’s current status in the UAE or any immediate response from Emirati authorities.