Houthis seize Red Sea ports

The Yemeni rebel group captured Mokha, a major port city, and Perim, a tiny island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea's Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Control of entire coastline

The rebels now control Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline. Both locations put them within firing distance of any ships attempting to traverse the narrow strait.

Saudi-backed forces collapsed

Opposing forces trained and supported by Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. seemed to melt away during the offensive. A senior official called the result catastrophic.

“The result is catastrophic. It's created all these alarms.”

Two choke points threatened

Iran and its ally the Houthis now effectively control two of the world's most important maritime choke points, rattling global energy markets.

Pipeline attack spikes oil prices

A drone attack that Saudi Arabia said was launched by Iran-backed militias inside Iraq hit a Saudi pipeline, causing a spike in Brent crude oil prices.

Houthis promise safe passage

A Houthi spokesman said passage through the Red Sea remained safe and orderly. The strait and Red Sea faced no danger from the Yemeni side, he claimed.

Trump declines to intervene

President Trump said the Houthis called and don't want to fight with the U.S. He declined Saudi requests for air strikes against the rebels.

“They called us and they don't want to fight with us. They don't want us to go after them.”

Crown Prince calls twice

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice as the Houthis advanced, asking for U.S. air strikes. Trump, who had signed a defense agreement, declined.

Saudi Arabia fights alone

The kingdom is carrying out air strikes across Yemen to shore up its allies. Houthi media aired video of what it said was a Saudi fighter jet they downed.

Hundreds dead, thousands fleeing

Battles across Yemen have led to hundreds of deaths. At least a hundred thousand people have been displaced, and twenty-four hundred fled by boat to Djibouti.

Saudi intervention began in 2014

The Houthis' capture of Sana'a in 2014 spurred a Saudi-led military intervention with U.S. support. Its architect was Mohammed bin Salman, then defense minister.

Reckless air campaign killed civilians

The Saudi-led coalition made little headway against the Houthis. Their air campaign routinely killed civilians at weddings, funerals, and in factories.

U.S. campaign killed hundreds

In 2025, the U.S. military carried out a nearly two-month campaign against the Houthis. A nonprofit watchdog found it killed at least two hundred and twenty-four civilians.

Saudi-Emirati alliance fractures

The partnership between Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. fell apart after Emirati-supported forces seized territory from Saudi-backed groups in eastern Yemen.

Iranian plane sparks crisis

The truce between the Saudis and Houthis collapsed in July after the Saudis refused to let an Iranian airliner land in Sana'a. It was the spark of this crisis.

“It was the spark of this crisis.”

Sixty thousand soldiers fled

Anti-Houthi soldiers saw allied forces retreating and assumed they had better intelligence. Sixty thousand soldiers ran to save their lives in a domino effect.

“Can you imagine, sixty thousand soldiers just running to save their lives?”

Yemen lost local control

Foreign states like Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Iran make decisions about when to escalate the war and what compromises Yemenis should accept to end it.

“The Yemenis lost their local agency.”

Houthis gain negotiating leverage

The rebels will likely use their victories and control of the Red Sea to escalate demands in peace negotiations, including payment of wages and Saudi compensation.