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September 11, 2026

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Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities gather during a rally to recruit more fighters in Sanaa on Sept. 10, 2026.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia's Houthi crisis tests alliances with Trump, Turkey and Pakistan

As the Houthis tighten their grip on the Bab al-Mandeb, Saudi Arabia is turning to new regional alliances while Washington resists calls to intervene.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Strait

Explainer

How Houthi gains near Bab al-Mandeb raise threat to Saudi oil flows

The Iran-linked militants are advancing on the Red Sea coast following the capture of the strategic port of Mokha, bringing the group closer to full control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Admiral Charles Bradford "Brad" Cooper II, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

CENTCOM chief in Saudi Arabia as Yemen's Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb

The Houthis' seizure of Mocha and Perim Island effectively puts them in a position to close the Bab al-Mandeb.

The navigation bridge of a sunken vessel is all that is seen at the surface of the water in the Port of Mocha the day after an attack by the Houthis on the city Mocha, held by Yemen's internationally recognized, Aden-based government, on Aug. 10, 2026.

Houthis seize Red Sea city, tighten grip near strategic Bab al-Mandeb: What to know

Taking control of the towns bordering the Bab al-Mandeb Strait deals a significant blow to Saudi Arabia, which has relied heavily on the key waterway to keep its exports afloat.

Latest News

Saudi Arabia’s oil production slumps to lowest in 36 years as war bites

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

How Saudi Arabia seeks to contain Yemen's Houthis without provoking Iran

Fighters supporting the Aden-based, internationally recognized Yemeni government gather during a vigil along the Red Sea shore in Khokha, in Yemen's western Hodeidah province, on July 20, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

People walk on a railway track as Egyptian army troops are deployed outside the of the presidential palace in Cairo on December 12, 2012, one day after thousands of Egyptians protested against the upcoming referendum on the new draft constitution. Egypt's powerful army has called for President Mohamed Morsi and the secular opposition to meet later in the day to stop a crisis over an imminent constitutional referendum from tearing the country apart. AFP PHOTO/GIANLUIGI GUERCIA (Photo credit should rea

Will public opposition stop proposed Egypt-Israel railway dead in its tracks?

Egyptian media outlets are making a fuss about a recent meeting between Israel's ambassador to Cairo, David Govrin, and the director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, discussing a railway between Egypt and Israel.

Yemen war escalates as Houthis threaten UAE, Saudi Arabia

Escalating threats by Yemen's Houthi rebels indicate the group is still not intimidated by the Saudi-led coalition, portending more suffering for Yemeni civilians.

People check damage at the site of an air strike in Amran, Yemen June 25, 2018. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RC1520F24B70

UAE talks up diplomacy as Congress curtails US involvement in Yemen war

Emirati officials are taking to Capitol Hill to say they’re giving the UN-brokered peace in Yemen a shot, but their patience is running out.

A man walks towards the gate of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC1869894F80

Top Democrats urge Gulf to drop demand for Houthi surrender in Yemen

Some of the House’s most hawkish Democratic leaders rebuked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their offensive on the key port of Hodeidah.

Why Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince still needs his father

The influential, yet polarizing, Mohammed bin Salman still relies on his father King Salman's legitimacy and credentials as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.

Architects from Middle East, beyond tear down barriers in Venice

Turkey’s national pavilion and other entries from the region are among the highlights at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale, whose theme "Freespace" has prompted curators to investigate national boundaries, the human toll of migration and the concept of freedom.

Is Riyadh really pushing for control of Jerusalem holy sites?

Saudi Arabia is boosting its efforts to take over Jordan's administration of Jerusalem's holy sites, and many think the pressure is coming from Saudi efforts to drum up support for the US peace plan for the Mideast.

A tank belonging to Turkish soldiers and Ankara-backed Syrian Arab fighters is seen in the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin in northwestern Syria after they took control of it from Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) on March 18, 2018.
Turkish-backed rebels have seized the centre of Afrin city in northern Syria, Ankara said, as they made rapid gains in their campaign against Kurdish forces. A civilian inside Afrin said that rebels had deployed in the city centre and that the Kurdish People's Protection Un

Turkey’s Kurdish policies provoke backlash everywhere

The US-Turkish deal on Manbij sparks a Damascus opening to Syrian Kurds; Iran scolds Turkey on PKK operations in Syria; the HDP faces violence and an “uneven” playing field in elections; Iran is caught in the middle between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JUNE 14: Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President Wladimir Putin of Russia look on during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium on June 14, 2018 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)

Iran may become third wheel in Saudi-Russian relationship

Saudi Arabia and Russia have been overlooking their differences, focusing instead on their mutual energy interests, but it might prove hard to ignore the elephant in the room indefinitely.

Is the GCC dead?

The Gulf Cooperation Council is broken and may not be fixable.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 14, 2018. Yuri Kadobnov/Pool via REUTERS - RC1F6D500190

Saudi crown prince, Putin boost energy cooperation in Moscow meeting

The recent meeting between the Russian president and the Saudi crown prince appears to have moved the two countries closer to a grand bilateral energy deal.

Trump's Israel-Palestine deal targets Saudi alliance, not peace

President Donald Trump knows that in order to get the Saudis into a regional alliance with Israel against Iran, he must first present a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.