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Yemen

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Yemen. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Sana'a

Head of State

President Rashad al-Alimi

Head of Government

Prime Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak

Smoke is seen rising near Riyadh airport on Saturday. Photo: X/hey_itsmyturn via AFP

Middle East

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital, after flames seen near Riyadh airport

The militants say they targeted ‘sensitive’ sites, along with an Aramco facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu.

2 hours ago

US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

18 Sep 2026 - 9:50PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

18 Sep 2026 - 6:40PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China opens Pinglu Canal; Hong Kong unveils first 5-year plan: 7 highlights

From Chinese defence chief’s forum speech to a Beijing Hyrox athlete’s faecal row, here are top stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

18 Sep 2026 - 12:45PM

A trial vessel moving through the Pinglu Canal in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua

Middle East

US approves sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia despite Israeli concerns

US says the sale would improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter ‘current and future threats’.

18 Sep 2026 - 1:53PM

Middle East

Saudis turn to Western, regional allies as missile defences run low

Regional officials say kingdom appeals to France, UK, Pakistan, and Egypt for help against Houthis amid US interceptor shortages.

17 Sep 2026 - 3:40PM

Saudi Arabia

Who is Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the elusive commander driving the Saudi blitz?

He has transformed the Houthi group from tribal insurgency to a fighting force, threatening Riyadh and controlling the vital waterway.

16 Sep 2026 - 10:32PMvideocam

Students stand next to a poster of Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi in Sanaa, Yemen, on July 22. Photo: Reuters

China-Middle East relations

China affirms support for Iran, but warns against Yemen spillover

In talks with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls on Tehran and Washington to stay rational.

17 Sep 2026 - 1:20AMvideocam

Middle East

‘Red line’: Saudi coalition accuses Houthis of targeting Mecca with drone

Drone intercepted heading towards the Saudi holy city, but Houthi official rejects claim as a ‘worn-out lie’.

16 Sep 2026 - 8:12PM

US, Israel war on Iran

US military fires on boats attempting to capture sailing drone off Iran

Central Command confirms engagement off Iranian coast as Tehran claims vessels were local fishing craft.

16 Sep 2026 - 11:05AM

A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf off Bahrain’s coast. Photo: US Central Command via AFP

China-Middle East relations

Iran’s top diplomat heads to China for talks as Mideast diplomacy falters

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed and fighting has flared again in Yemen as Abbas Araghchi and Wang Yi prepare to meet.

15 Sep 2026 - 7:23PMvideocam

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected in China on Wednesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart. Photo: AFP

China's military weapons

Has a Chinese DF missile been used for the first time in the Middle East?

Video of a DF-15A rocket motor in Marib hints at secret arms deliveries as Saudi-Houthi fighting escalates.

15 Sep 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran says tanker exploded in Strait of Hormuz as US rejects account

IRGC says vessel hit sea mine in waterway as CENTCOM accuses Tehran of drone strike and intimidation.

15 Sep 2026 - 3:48PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Middle East diplomacy stalls as war spreads, Hormuz talks postponed

New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi Arabia as planned talks between Tehran and its neighbours are put off.

14 Sep 2026 - 3:35PM

Houthis engaged in fighting near the western Yemen port city of Mokha, which they captured last week. Photo: Houthi Military Media via EPA

Middle East

Houthis hit Saudi base amid renewed fighting with Yemen government forces

The rebels have cemented their hold on the Bab el-Mandab Strait, which has become a key route for oil exports after Iran’s Hormuz blockade.

13 Sep 2026 - 10:15AM

Houthis brandish their weapons as they rally in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in March. Photo: TNS

US, Israel war on Iran

Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks

The kingdom said the East-West pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing several injuries.

12 Sep 2026 - 6:33PM

Middle East

Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

The move potentially tightens the militants’ grip on a vital shipping route, further increasing the threat to energy markets.

11 Sep 2026 - 10:52PMvideocam

Middle East

Yemen’s Houthi militants close in on strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemeni government sources say the Houthis have reached the Red Sea ⁠islands of Hanish after capturing the coastal city of Mocha.

10 Sep 2026 - 11:50PM

This video grab taken from UGC images posted on social media on Thursday shows Houthi fighters inside Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha. Photo: various sources / AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

Houthi offensive on Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatens Red Sea shipping

Rebel strikes in Saudi Arabia and fierce fighting in Taiz risk choking global maritime traffic and undoing 4 years of peace.

9 Sep 2026 - 6:00PM

Middle East

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia ignite fires at oil facilities, wound dozens

Operations halted at southern facilities as Iranian-backed rebels target border cities in a major escalation.

8 Sep 2026 - 6:32PM

Middle East

Hundreds killed in deadliest Yemen fighting since 2022 truce collapsed

Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces fight over control of a key Red Sea gateway.

7 Sep 2026 - 12:57PM

Forces loyal to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government deploy in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah. Fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels has left hundreds dead. Photo: AFP

US, Israel war on Iran

US hits 3 Iranian oil tankers after warships targeted, military says

The US military said two of its vessels evaded ‘multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks’ before retaliating.

6 Sep 2026 - 4:23AM

A US fighter jet launches from an aircraft carrier. File photo: Reuters

Saudi Arabia

2 Filipino sailors killed in Iran’s attack on vessel, Saudi Arabia says

Iran has threatened tankers attempting ⁠to sail through the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation, impeding energy exports from the Gulf.

3 Sep 2026 - 2:43AMvideocam

Malaysia

Malaysian police arrest 7 Yemeni men after dangerous road stunt goes viral

The men reportedly told police that they leaned out of the cars and sat on the windows for fun while celebrating a friend’s wedding.

29 Aug 2026 - 12:00PM

US-China relations

Opinion | US and China must team up to keep maritime trade routes free and safe

The Strait of Hormuz crisis shows neither state benefits when key waterways can become instruments of political pressure or economic coercion.

28 Aug 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Middle East

Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?

As security deal shakes up calculations for the US, China and Russia, a regional order shaped by regional states is no longer unthinkable.

25 Aug 2026 - 8:30PM

Africa

20 sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates near Yemen on US-sanctioned ship

The hijacking comes amid a resurgence of piracy that has seen six commercial vessels seized since April across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.

22 Aug 2026 - 8:17PM

US, Israel war on Iran

Iran shifts to offensive as diplomacy with US stalls

Tehran is moving from retaliation to a more proactive strategy to break the deadlock and force US concessions over the naval blockade and energy trade.

20 Aug 2026 - 12:58PM

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Yemen

Houthis claim attacks on Saudi capital, after flames seen near Riyadh airport

The militants say they targeted ‘sensitive’ sites, along with an Aramco facility in the Red Sea city of Yanbu.

Saudi oil pipeline closure puts Asia’s economic resilience to the test

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

China opens Pinglu Canal; Hong Kong unveils first 5-year plan: 7 highlights

From Chinese defence chief’s forum speech to a Beijing Hyrox athlete’s faecal row, here are top stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

US approves sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia despite Israeli concerns

US says the sale would improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter ‘current and future threats’.

Saudis turn to Western, regional allies as missile defences run low

Regional officials say kingdom appeals to France, UK, Pakistan, and Egypt for help against Houthis amid US interceptor shortages.

Who is Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the elusive commander driving the Saudi blitz?

He has transformed the Houthi group from tribal insurgency to a fighting force, threatening Riyadh and controlling the vital waterway.

China affirms support for Iran, but warns against Yemen spillover

In talks with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls on Tehran and Washington to stay rational.

‘Red line’: Saudi coalition accuses Houthis of targeting Mecca with drone

Drone intercepted heading towards the Saudi holy city, but Houthi official rejects claim as a ‘worn-out lie’.

US military fires on boats attempting to capture sailing drone off Iran

Central Command confirms engagement off Iranian coast as Tehran claims vessels were local fishing craft.

Iran’s top diplomat heads to China for talks as Mideast diplomacy falters

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed and fighting has flared again in Yemen as Abbas Araghchi and Wang Yi prepare to meet.

Has a Chinese DF missile been used for the first time in the Middle East?

Video of a DF-15A rocket motor in Marib hints at secret arms deliveries as Saudi-Houthi fighting escalates.

Iran says tanker exploded in Strait of Hormuz as US rejects account

IRGC says vessel hit sea mine in waterway as CENTCOM accuses Tehran of drone strike and intimidation.

Middle East diplomacy stalls as war spreads, Hormuz talks postponed

New attacks in Hormuz and Saudi Arabia as planned talks between Tehran and its neighbours are put off.

Houthis hit Saudi base amid renewed fighting with Yemen government forces

The rebels have cemented their hold on the Bab el-Mandab Strait, which has become a key route for oil exports after Iran’s Hormuz blockade.

Saudi pipeline that bypasses Hormuz shut after attacks

The kingdom said the East-West pipeline was targeted by drones launched from Iraq, causing several injuries.

Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

The move potentially tightens the militants’ grip on a vital shipping route, further increasing the threat to energy markets.

Yemen’s Houthi militants close in on strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemeni government sources say the Houthis have reached the Red Sea ⁠islands of Hanish after capturing the coastal city of Mocha.

Houthi offensive on Bab el-Mandeb Strait threatens Red Sea shipping

Rebel strikes in Saudi Arabia and fierce fighting in Taiz risk choking global maritime traffic and undoing 4 years of peace.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia ignite fires at oil facilities, wound dozens

Operations halted at southern facilities as Iranian-backed rebels target border cities in a major escalation.

Hundreds killed in deadliest Yemen fighting since 2022 truce collapsed

Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces fight over control of a key Red Sea gateway.

US hits 3 Iranian oil tankers after warships targeted, military says

The US military said two of its vessels evaded ‘multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks’ before retaliating.

2 Filipino sailors killed in Iran’s attack on vessel, Saudi Arabia says

Iran has threatened tankers attempting ⁠to sail through the Strait of Hormuz without authorisation, impeding energy exports from the Gulf.

Malaysian police arrest 7 Yemeni men after dangerous road stunt goes viral

The men reportedly told police that they leaned out of the cars and sat on the windows for fun while celebrating a friend’s wedding.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | US and China must team up to keep maritime trade routes free and safe

The Strait of Hormuz crisis shows neither state benefits when key waterways can become instruments of political pressure or economic coercion.

Opinion | Could Mecca defence pact be first step to new Middle East order?

As security deal shakes up calculations for the US, China and Russia, a regional order shaped by regional states is no longer unthinkable.

20 sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates near Yemen on US-sanctioned ship

The hijacking comes amid a resurgence of piracy that has seen six commercial vessels seized since April across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.

Iran shifts to offensive as diplomacy with US stalls

Tehran is moving from retaliation to a more proactive strategy to break the deadlock and force US concessions over the naval blockade and energy trade.

Opinion | US and China must team up to keep maritime trade routes free and safe