In September, Ansarallah (also known as the “Houthis”) launched a dramatic offensive in Yemen against the Saudi-backed government forces. The group, which governs a large area in the northwest of the country, seized control of strategic territory along the Red Sea coast. This included the coastal city of Mocha and the island of Perim, which puts Ansarallah, who are allied with Iran, in control over the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital shipping lane used to connect the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. Some 10 per cent of global maritime traffic passes through this narrow corridor.
In addition, Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was damaged in drone strikes, seemingly with help from Iran-backed forces in Iraq. This temporarily shut down the pipeline, which was Saudi Arabia’s only way to export oil with Iran limiting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline has since started operating again, but the restrictions on exports and Ansarallah’s attacks have put the kingdom on the defensive, causing a spike in global oil prices. Saudi Arabia (which is a close ally of the U.S. and Canada and a quiet ally of Israel) and government forces in Yemen have called on the U.S. military to help them fight Ansarallah. As of late September, Trump wouldn’t commit.
The civil war between Ansarallah, who aim to represent the country’s Shia minority, and Yemeni government forces dates back more than a decade. In 2014, Ansarallah seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and toppled the government. In response, a Saudi-led coalition launched a brutal aerial assault. More than 100,000 people were killed before an informal UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect in 2022.
Around 700 people have been killed in the latest conflict, as of late September.
This article appeared in the 2026 Oct/Nov issue.
