Oct 10, 2026
Yemen's Houthis claimed an attack on an Aramco oil facility near Riyadh on Saturday, with witnesses reporting flames and smoke, while Saudi-led forces launched approximately 26 strikes on the Houthi-held capital Sanaa in escalating Red Sea conflict.
Houthi fighters are pushing to seize strategic heights in Yemen's Kahboub Mountains to cut off the Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed forces, following reports that President Trump called off American airstrikes at the last minute even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft.
Italy's defence minister announced plans to deploy naval forces to safeguard Italian merchant shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, citing mounting security concerns and potential severe economic fallout from the vital waterway being threatened by the widening Middle East conflict.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategic Hanish islands and Perim Island in the Red Sea, completing their takeover of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline and tightening control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route for global oil supplies. The advance has raised concerns about potential disruptions to energy corridors and increased pressure on Saudi oil exports.
Iran-backed Houthis have captured a key port city and island along Yemen's Red Sea coast, causing security concerns around the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Strait of Hormuz. The offensive has displaced thousands of Yemenis to Djibouti and forced Somali businesses to rethink shipping routes, while the rebels claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is confronting a multi-front security crisis as Houthi rebels advance toward Red Sea shipping routes, Iraqi militias force the closure of a major oil pipeline through drone attacks, and Iran continues disrupting the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation is testing the kingdom's national security and economic resilience.