Yemen’s Houthi group said it has attacked eight Saudi oil tankers since the start of a maritime blockade, according to a statement by its military spokesperson reported on August 5. The spokesperson said the latest attack targeted a Saudi oil tanker named Wafa, with several ballistic missiles launched at the vessel.

The spokesperson claimed the strike hit its target “accurately.” The report did not provide information on damage, casualties, the tanker’s condition, or any response from Saudi Arabia. The claim was presented as part of the group’s account of operations following the blockade.

According to the spokesperson, the attack was part of efforts to enforce a declared maritime blockade by Yemen’s armed forces. He said the blockade began on July 22 and that eight Saudi oil tankers had been attacked since then. He also claimed that 29 Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea had been prevented from reaching their destinations and forced to turn back during the same period.

An Indian-flagged vessel, MSV Faize Nuri Olie, sank in the Red Sea after coming under attack 13 nautical miles from Yemen’s Hodeidah port, NDTV reported on Tuesday. The ship capsized after the attack and later went under. Hodeidah is currently controlled by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The vessel had 14 crew members: 13 Indians and one Yemeni national. Yemen’s internationally recognised government’s National Resistance Force said its coast guard naval units carried out a joint rescue operation and brought all crew members to safety alive.

India strongly condemned the incident, saying its flagged vessel had been attacked without any provocation. Days earlier, the Houthi rebels announced a blockade in the Red Sea, saying they would not allow Saudi cargo ships to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea.

A senior member of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Hizam al-Assad, said US President Donald Trump had again been forced to retreat because of fear of Iran’s military strength. In remarks reported on August 3, 2026, al-Assad mocked what he described as Trump’s hollow threats against Iran and repeated retreats.

In a post on X, al-Assad said Trump’s understanding of a reality had compelled him to take a path of “peace.” He claimed the US military situation had become fragile, its bases had been destroyed, and its air-defence capability had declined.

Al-Assad further claimed Iran retained a strong ability to inflict significant damage on the Israeli ruling establishment, US assets and interests, and the region’s energy infrastructure and resources. He said that when the cost of conflict rises, the language of threats turns into the language of peace. The report did not include independent verification of these claims or a response from US officials.

Yemen's armed Houthi group said it had forced at least eight Saudi Arabian oil tankers to change course, according to its military spokesperson Yahya Saree. Saree confirmed the claim but did not specify when the reported diversion occurred or provide further details about the tankers.

In a statement, Saree said the group’s blockade operations against what he called Saudi enemies were continuing. He said the armed forces would reach Saudi vessels wherever possible. The Houthis had previously announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20.

The group has also formally rejected recent media reports that it would collect fees or taxes from commercial ships passing through the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. No additional information was provided on the claimed tanker course changes or the alleged blockade operation.

Yemen’s armed Houthi group has categorically denied reports that it is imposing tariffs on commercial ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea. The group described information circulating in international media outlets and digital platforms as baseless, according to a report published on August 1, 2026.

The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said in a statement that vessel transit through the strait remains completely free of charge. The center is responsible for the group’s maritime communications and matters related to ship movement.

The statement further said that all commercial vessels exempt from, or outside, the scope of the Houthis’ declared restrictions can travel through the waterway in complete safety. The report noted that the group announced a formal naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20, describing it as a response to blockades and military attacks over the past several years.

Yemen’s Ansarullah movement leader Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi alleged that Saudi Arabia used “all its power” to protect Israel from drones and missiles launched from Yemen. In a Thursday speech reported on July 31, he said Saudi Arabia had attempted to intercept the attacks and had downed some Yemeni missiles and drones directed at Israel.

Al-Houthi said Yemen had informed Riyadh that the flight paths of its drones and missiles would be set outside Saudi airspace. He claimed Yemeni drones deliberately avoided Saudi airspace so that Saudi Arabia would have no pretext to attack, but alleged that Saudi forces nevertheless tried to intercept them. He also said many Arab governments had moved toward pro-Israel policies.

In the same address, al-Houthi condemned what he described as US and Saudi aggression against Iraq and expressed solidarity with Iraq’s people, security forces, fighters and families of martyrs. He claimed the United States and Israel sought to weaken or eliminate forces in Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and elsewhere in the region that they regard as obstacles to their plans.

Saudi Arabia is preparing for a major military operation against Yemen’s Houthi rebels to break a blockade on its oil exports in the southern Red Sea, Yemeni sources said. The operation could be conducted by sea in central Yemen and, if possible, by land. Saudi forces have been seen withdrawing from eastern Yemen, a move believed to be linked to preparations for a ground operation.

Riyadh is also stepping up efforts to form a multinational naval coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday that 14 countries, including Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti, backed the proposal in a joint statement. Riyadh has invited the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Italy to join.

The Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi ships on July 20 and said they would lift it only if Saudi Arabia ended its blockade on Yemen. Yemeni sources said Saudi forces are gathering to retake al-Bayda province, seized by the Houthis in 2020-21. A deal mediated by Oman and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could reduce tensions in Yemen, according to the report.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they downed a Saudi Arabian surveillance drone over Saada province on Wednesday morning. The group described the aircraft as a Saudi drone and said it was brought down in the skies above the northern Yemeni province.

Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthi military wing, said in a Telegram statement that the drone was a “Karayel” model. He said the aircraft had been conducting hostile activity over Saada province when it was targeted by Houthi forces.

Saree said the Houthis would continue to defend Yemen’s sovereignty. He added that the group would take retaliatory measures against any attempt to violate that sovereignty, describing such action as its legitimate right.

A source from Yemen’s Houthi movement, Ansarullah, claimed that Yemeni armed forces targeted three Saudi oil tankers in the Bab al-Mandab Strait over the past 48 hours. The report was published on July 27, 2026. The source did not provide details on damage, the identities of the vessels, or the precise timing of the alleged attacks.

According to the source, a maritime blockade that took effect on Monday has led at least 16 Saudi-linked ships to turn back without crossing the strait. It also said that no Saudi oil tanker has been able to pass through the strategic waterway since the blockade began. The source said restrictions on Saudi vessels remain in force and that no ship would be permitted to cross.

Separately, Ansarullah military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed that a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci armed surveillance drone belonging to Saudi Arabia was shot down while operating over Yemen’s Al-Jawf province. He said any attempt to violate Yemen’s sovereignty would be countered. The claims were reported with Palestine Chronicles cited as the source.

Yemen's armed forces said they had downed a Turkish-made Bayraktar Akinci armed surveillance drone used by Saudi Arabia in the airspace of Al-Jawf province. In a statement on Sunday local time, spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the drone was brought down with an appropriate weapon while conducting what he called a hostile operation. The report was published on July 26, 2026.

Saree said Yemeni forces were prepared and capable of countering any attempt to violate Yemen's airspace and sovereignty. He had earlier claimed that Yemeni forces carried out two separate military operations in response to what he described as Saudi aggression. The first reportedly targeted sensitive Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan with ballistic missiles and drones, while the second allegedly used ballistic and cruise missiles and drones against Aramco-linked sites in Yanbu.

Saba news agency chief Nasser al-Amer said Yemen would deliver a significant response to recent Saudi military actions. Yemeni forces have also declared the 2022 truce effectively over and announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. The claims about the drone, Aramco facilities and other operations could not be independently verified, and Saudi authorities had not issued an official comment.

Houthi political bureau spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam met a Saudi delegation in Oman, according to a report published on July 26, 2026. A source from Yemen's Ansarullah Houthi movement said the meeting aimed to strengthen regional security and stability. The talks were reported after reciprocal attacks involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

After Riyadh carried out airstrikes in Yemen's Hodeidah province, the Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi oil facilities at two ports on the Red Sea coast on Saturday. In an official statement, the Houthi group said Yemen's armed forces had conducted two specific military operations in response to what it called Saudi “blatant aggression.”

The statement said the first operation targeted sensitive Aramco facilities in Jizan with around a dozen ballistic missiles and drones. A second operation targeted sensitive Aramco facilities in Yanbu using multiple ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. Yemen Television reported that airstrikes later hit Houthi positions in the central province of Marib and the northern province of Al-Jawf.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the resumption of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric conveyed the secretary-general’s position during a regular briefing in New York on Friday local time.

Dujarric said the new Houthi attacks could draw Yemen deeper into regional conflict and seriously damage prospects for peace in the country. He said the situation could also lead to major economic, humanitarian and environmental consequences.

The UN spokesperson stressed the need to fully restore international navigation and freedom of movement through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and nearby sea routes. Guterres called for violence to stop and for the situation to be de-escalated immediately amid the crisis.

Saudi Arabia carried out strikes in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah late Friday, according to an Al Jazeera report published Saturday, as concerns grew that conflict between the United States and Iran could widen regionally. The Houthi-controlled government threatened a forceful response, saying Saudi targeting of Hodeidah had further complicated the situation and would bring serious consequences for Riyadh.

Houthi-backed Al Masirah said Saudi airstrikes targeted facilities belonging to Yemen’s telecommunications authority. It also said a woman was injured in an attack on Kamaran Island. Reuters, citing witnesses, reported loud explosions at Hodeidah port. The port is a vital lifeline for Houthi-controlled Yemen, with most commercial goods and humanitarian aid entering the blockaded area through it.

The Saudi-led military coalition denied directly striking Hodeidah port. Its spokesperson, Major General Turki al-Maliki, blamed the Houthis for the escalation and criticized their recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. On Wednesday, the Houthis attacked several Saudi oil tankers with drones and missiles, damaging at least one tanker. The Houthis said the vessels had violated their declared maritime blockade.

Four sources told Reuters that Iran sent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, military advisers, medium-range missiles and drone-related equipment to Yemen’s Houthi rebels on a special Mahan Air flight from Tehran on July 13. Two Iranian officials said the flight, initially bound for Houthi-controlled Sanaa, was diverted to the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah after Sanaa airport was damaged in attacks by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

The sources included two Iranian officials, the information minister of Yemen’s internationally recognised government and a regional security analyst. They said Tehran’s aim was to strengthen Houthi military capabilities in the Red Sea. One source said the commanders were sent to train Houthis on operating new missile systems and assist military operations, and alleged that gold was also carried to finance Houthi activities.

Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment and has long denied providing military and missile support to the Houthis. Houthi media official Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi called the allegation false, saying only civilian passengers were aboard. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the flight’s sole purpose was returning a Houthi delegation and Yemeni citizens who had received treatment in Tehran. Yemen’s information minister Muammar al-Eryani said intelligence indicated personnel and equipment had arrived.

Supporters of Yemen’s Houthi movement held a large rally in Sanaa on July 21, 2026, endorsing the group’s declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. The demonstration took place at Sabin Square, where participants described the move as a response to what they called years of Saudi-imposed restrictions on Yemen. Protester Mujib al-Bulaihi told Reuters that the blockade decision was a direct reply to Saudi Arabia’s long-standing blockade, while another supporter, Abdullah al-Asuli, said the Yemeni armed forces acted after repeated calls to reopen airports and seaports.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the Houthis’ announcement, rejecting accusations of imposing a blockade on Yemen. Riyadh stated that it has consistently worked with Yemen’s legitimate government to ease civilian suffering, including maintaining development projects, supporting the national budget, and ensuring fuel supplies for power plants. Saudi officials also reported that more than 300 ships carrying food, goods, fuel, and construction materials docked at Hodeidah, As-Salif, and Ras Isa ports during the first half of 2026.

The opposing statements highlight the continuing strain between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with both sides trading accusations over humanitarian and economic conditions in Yemen.