Yemen, Houthis & Red Sea
Assessment
The Houthis hold Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and the Yemeni side of Bab el-Mandeb after taking Mocha on Sept 10 and Perim island on Sept 11, astride a chokepoint carrying roughly 12 percent of global trade, 11 percent of seaborne oil and 8 percent of LNG. The UN Security Council met in emergency session on Sept 15 over the advance along the Red Sea coast and the group's grip near the strait, its second Yemen emergency meeting in a week. Fighting inland continued, with Saudi-backed government forces advancing in western Taiz on Sept 14 under Saudi air cover the Houthis put at 54 raids in 24 hours across Lahj, Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib and Hajjah. The UN reported on Sept 15 that more than 125,000 people from over 18,000 households have been displaced since the start of September, and Yemen's internationally recognised prime minister accused the Houthis of killing and displacing civilians during their advance.
Recent, assessed
- 2026-09-15The UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Yemen over the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast and their control near Bab el-Mandeb (single-sourced). rte.ie
- 2026-09-15The UN reports more than 125,000 people from over 18,000 households displaced in Yemen since the start of September. aljazeera.com
- 2026-09-15Yemen's internationally recognised prime minister accuses the Houthis of killing and displacing civilians during their territorial advance. aljazeera.com
Level history
Levels set by research reviews. A level set by hand is shown at the top of the page while it is in force and is not part of this history.
| Date | Level | Status | Trend | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-15 | 5 | Active war | ▲ escalating | Weekly review |
| 2026-09-14 | 5 | Active war | ▲ escalating | Weekly review |
| 2026-09-12 | 5 | Active war | ▲ escalating | Weekly review |
| 2026-09-12 | 4 | Escalating | ▲ escalating | Baseline |
Latest headlines 173
Matched to this entry by keyword from the pull of 19 Sep, 11:09 UTC. Not reviewed; some may be off-topic.
- Why are the Houthis pressuring Saudi Arabia?
- US joins Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey and Israel in race for Red Sea influence as it lifts Eritrea sanctions linked to Ethiopia war that killed 600,000
- New strikes in Saudi Arabia amid Houthi conflict
- Shia terrorists Houthis tighten grip on Bab el-Mandeb, threaten Saudi oil and Red Sea shipping routes
- How the Houthis Opened a Volatile New Front in the Iran War
- How Will the Houthis Impact the Trajectory of the Iran War?
- Inside the Houthi advance: How Iran's allies are helping tighten Tehran's grip on the Red Sea
- What do the Houthis want? The threat to Saudi oil may be about more than just helping Iran
- More than 112,000 displaced in Yemen as Houthis seize more ground
- Pakistan Urges Houthis to Halt Red Sea Attacks, Reaffirms Support for Saudi Arabia
- Riyadh's First Air Raid Alert Amid Houthi Escalation
- Red Sea Realignment: Houthi Advancements at Bab el-Mandeb and the Strategic Gamble for the Horn of Africa
- Washington: We provided Saudi Arabia with all intelligence data against the Houthis
- Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of launching 26 strikes in 24 hours
- UPDATES: US War on Iran, Day 205 - Saudi Arabia's Conflict with Yemen 's Houthis Escalates