Houthi movement · Full chronicle and history

Yemen's Houthi forces fired three ballistic missiles at a government military camp in Shabwa Province on October 19, killing at least 53 soldiers and injuring more than 200 recruits.

According to The Guardian, alarmed by the Houthi advance, the UAE has agreed to re-engage in the Yemen conflict by resuming funding for anti-Houthi forces. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia will provide air cover for the relevant military operations. The move marks a strategic shift by Gulf states on the Yemen situation, aimed at curbing further Houthi expansion.

According to @clashreport, Houthi forces released a video showing an AH-6i helicopter of the Saudi National Guard being struck by a loitering munition over Saudi Arabia's Najran Province. The Saudi side has acknowledged that the helicopter crashed, killing two crew members, but Saudi officials claim the crash was caused by a technical malfunction.

According to a report by @clashreport, Iran is providing the Houthis with intelligence, weapons, training, and direct assistance to help them carry out drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia. The report notes that officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are allegedly directly commanding the relevant attack operations on the ground, further heightening the risk of regional conflict.

According to Radio France Internationale, Houthi forces launched a missile attack on the seat of the Yemeni government on October 16, 2026. The attack killed at least four people. The relevant casualties and the follow-up impact are still being further assessed.

On October 15, 2026, according to Yemen's Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree and related released video footage, the Houthi forces used a surface-to-air missile over Saada, Yemen, to successfully intercept and shoot down a Royal Saudi Air Force Typhoon fighter jet taking off from Taif Air Base.

According to clashreport, on October 15, 2026 Beijing time, Yemen's Houthi forces launched several ballistic missiles at the al-Maashiq Presidential Palace, the seat of the internationally recognized government in Aden. Local sources said four explosions occurred near the complex, and footage from the scene showed thick smoke rising over the area.

On October 15, 2026 Beijing time, the Saudi-led coalition issued a statement publicly accusing Yemen's Houthi forces of obtaining advanced weapons and equipment with the assistance of "regional powers." The coalition strongly condemned this and called on the international community to take action to prevent armed groups from acquiring such military technology in order to maintain regional security and stability. According to the X account @clashreport, the coalition emphasized that the Houthis have become the first non-state armed group to obtain such advanced technology.

After Yemen's Houthi forces attacked Saudi Aramco's headquarters, they threatened to carry out further attacks; Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed that the building was hit and a limited fire broke out.

Around 0:00 a.m. Beijing time on October 14, 2026, U.S. President Trump publicly warned the Houthis, saying that their attacks on Saudi Arabia and deliberate pushing up of oil prices were "very bad," and indicated that Iran may be behind the orders. He also mentioned that the U.S. military had launched fierce bombings against the Houthis a year ago, and later halted the operations at the other side's request. This statement was relayed in a post by X user @__Inty__, and has not yet been corroborated by other independent sources.

According to a post by X account @__Inty__, Iran-backed Houthi forces launched attacks on multiple locations across Saudi Arabia using missiles and drones, including a strike on the headquarters of Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco.

According to @clashreport, the Houthis are attempting to build an advanced missile modeled on Iran's Kheibar Shekan and plan to use parts from China. The missile is reportedly capable of striking all of Saudi Arabia and Israel.

According to Radio France Internationale, loud explosions were heard again in the Saudi capital Riyadh on the evening of October 14 local time. Yemen's Houthi forces subsequently claimed that they had launched a new round of attacks on Saudi Aramco.

On October 14, Yemeni Foreign Minister Zubaidi confirmed to AFP that the Yemeni government has approached Beijing over allegations that Houthi forces used Chinese components to manufacture weapons; the weapons investigation organization CAR disclosed that among the seized cargo were custom parts corresponding to Iranian ballistic missiles, and the shipping documents listed a Chinese supplier, but the tracing has not yet been verified, and the existing materials are insufficient to prove the involvement of the Chinese government in supplying weapons.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister held a phone call with the Iranian Foreign Minister, calling on the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to immediately cease attacks on Saudi Arabia and prioritize diplomacy.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly stopped issuing public warnings before Houthi attacks. Previously, Riyadh airport had been hit by four Houthi attacks, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 300. Western officials said that Saudi authorities, after receiving complaints from residents, considered the warnings too disruptive.

At 21:22 Beijing time on October 13, 2026, the @clashreport account posted a message stating that Yemen's Houthi forces have named three Saudi targets and will retaliate against them if the coalition carries out airstrikes on oil depots in Sanaa. The retaliation targets include: Saudi Aramco headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and a Saudi Aramco refinery in Riyadh.

On October 13, 2026, Beijing time, Yemen's Houthi forces issued an urgent warning to experts, engineers, and workers at all oil facilities and airports inside Saudi Arabia, demanding that they immediately evacuate areas that could be potential strike targets and hinting that further military strikes would follow. Saudi facilities had previously been attacked.

Saudi Arabia's Riyadh International Airport was hit by a fierce attack by Houthi forces, causing multiple casualties including a US citizen, raising pressure on Middle Eastern countries as well as the US and Israel to jointly respond to terrorist proxies.

The Saudi-led coalition said that a strike on a terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh caused injuries, following an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured about 300, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility.

During the National Day holiday, the Houthis extended greetings to the Chinese Communist Party, and the related news sparked discussion among netizens.

UN and US diplomats warned on August 13 that Yemen faces its most severe risk of a resurgence in conflict since the 2022 truce, as the Houthis intensify attacks on commercial vessels.

On September 17, Reuters cited sources reporting that, at the request of Saudi Arabia, China privately asked Iran to use its influence to restrain Yemen's Houthi armed forces to prevent their military operations from threatening the Red Sea energy transportation corridor. Iran responded that regional stability depends on US and Israeli policies, and it remains unclear whether Iran will take action.

On September 15, a fire broke out near the YASREF refinery in the Yanbu Industrial City of Saudi Arabia, and personnel were evacuated, suspected of being attacked by Houthi forces. The plant is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Sinopec, making it China's largest investment project in Saudi Arabia and a landmark project for Belt and Road energy cooperation. Officials have not yet confirmed the details of the attack.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia has warned American citizens against traveling to the Yemen border area due to terrorist threats, after Houthi offensives have led to the capture of large areas along the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On September 16, Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a new round of mutual airstrikes: the Houthis fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and attacked the Khamis Mushait airbase; the Saudi-backed Yemeni authorities reported airstrikes on Houthi targets in Taiz and Marib provinces. The Houthis claimed that Saudi Arabia had launched over 450 airstrikes this week and shot down an F-15, which has not been independently verified.

The United Nations says as many as 125,000 people were displaced by the war in Yemen in September 2026, and Houthi offensives in Yemen have led to large areas along the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait being occupied.

Houthi forces attacked four Saudi cities, injuring at least more than 70 people and causing fires at Saudi energy facilities, which the Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed. Saudi Arabia said it would take measures to retaliate. Previously, the US military stated that Saudi Arabia should handle the Houthi issue on its own.

The Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi movement attacked the Tanzania-flagged cargo ship Tihama in the Red Sea, resulting in at least three deaths.

Yemeni government sources say Houthi rebels used ballistic missiles and drones to launch attacks in Hadramaut and Marib provinces, killing at least 30 soldiers.

A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said that Houthi rebels launched an attack on the Najran region in southwestern Saudi Arabia, resulting in 11 civilian injuries.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations office stated that a merchant ship was attacked by a surface unmanned vessel near Mukalla, Yemen, and caught fire; India stated that the ship subsequently sank, and 13 Indian citizens on board were rescued.

Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed to have hit the Saudi cruise ship Wafa with a ballistic missile in the northern Red Sea near the Yemeni coast; Saudi Arabia has not yet commented on this.

Trump warned that if attacks on Red Sea merchant ships continue, the United States will impose significant military punishment on Iran and its Houthi allies in Yemen.

The Houthis claimed that since implementing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 22, they have attacked 8 Saudi vessels and conducted 29 interceptions.

Houthi forces claim attacks on two oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones; Saudi Arabia subsequently confirmed that a tanker owned by a Saudi company was attacked and caught fire.