{"id":2810,"date":"2026-07-28T05:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T05:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/07\/28\/yemen-says-ready-for-houthi-escalation-after-rebels-target-saudi-arabia\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T05:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T05:30:08","slug":"yemen-says-ready-for-houthi-escalation-after-rebels-target-saudi-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=2810","title":{"rendered":"Yemen says ready for Houthi escalation after rebels target Saudi Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Yemen says ready for Houthi escalation after rebels target Saudi Arabia<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        The warning comes as the Houthis step up attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and impose a maritime blockade, raising fears that the Iran-backed group&#8217;s campaign could open a new front in the wider regional conflict and threaten shipping through the Red Sea.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-07-27T22:19:10+00:00\">28\/07\/2026 &#8211; 00:19<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    2 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/06b7fa46-86d2-11f1-8e4f-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/AP26198630293275.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/06b7fa46-86d2-11f1-8e4f-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:16x9\/AP26198630293275.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/06b7fa46-86d2-11f1-8e4f-005056bf30b7\/w:720\/p:16x9\/AP26198630293275.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/06b7fa46-86d2-11f1-8e4f-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/AP26198630293275.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt='Houthi supporters hold a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, July 17, 2026, against the Saudi-led coalition. Banner in Arabic reads, \"All Saudi oil facilities are targets to our missiles and drones.\"' loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                Houthi supporters rally in Sanaa, Yemen, July 17, 2026, near banner in Arabic proclaiming, &#8220;All Saudi oil facilities are targets to our missiles and drones.&#8221;        \u00a9 Osamah Abdulrahman, AP    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/yemen\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Yemen<\/a>&#8216;s internationally recognised government on Monday said it is ready for any escalation with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/houthi-rebels\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Houthi rebels<\/a> after the Iran-backed group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260724-yemen-s-houthis-say-they-hit-saudi-arabia-as-trump-weighs-harder-iran-strikes\" target=\"_self\">launched attacks<\/a> and a maritime blockade targeting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Fears are growing that renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen may further destabilise the Arabian peninsula and rattle the region&#8217;s precarious fault lines.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At the end of the day, we are prepared for any escalations,&#8221; Yemen&#8217;s foreign minister designate Afrah al-Zouba told reporters during a briefing in the Saudi capital Riyadh.<\/p>\n<p>The comments came just hours after the Houthis said they launched fresh drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure in response to incursions by the kingdom&#8217;s drones.<\/p>\n<p>Al-Zouba said the government was increasingly worried that the Tehran-backed rebels were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/middle-east\/20260715-iran-threatens-to-cut-off-major-vital-seaways-in-response-to-trump-s-renewed-blockade\" target=\"_self\">copying Iranian manoeuvres<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/strait-of-hormuz\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Strait of Hormuz<\/a> to gain control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a crucial passage into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/red-sea\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Red Sea<\/a> off the Yemeni coast.<\/p>\n<p>The narrow waterway has been a critical artery for delivering vast quantities of Saudi crude to the international market, after maritime traffic was largely choked off by fighting in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and have claimed attacks targeting Saudi tankers and oil infrastructure in the kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;Houthis want to copy the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Iran<\/a> experience in Hormuz,&#8221; al-Zouba said, adding the rebels were &#8220;in harmony&#8221; with Iranian escalation in the region.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They think they will gain control over the Red Sea,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p>Al-Zouba said the situation in Yemen was tense with Houthi forces skirmishing with government troops in several areas across the country daily.<\/p>\n<p>A Saudi-led military coalition had fought against the Houthi rebels in support of Yemen&#8217;s internationally recognised government after war broke out in the country in 2015.<\/p>\n<p>The latest flare-up between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis marks the first time in years the two sides have traded blows, threatening a 2022 truce in the previous conflict that has held despite expiring.<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/saudi-arabia\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Saudi Arabia\">    Saudi Arabia<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/yemen\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Yemen\">    Yemen<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/houthi-rebels\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Houthi rebels\">    Houthi rebels<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran\">    Iran<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/iran-conflict\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Iran war\">    Iran war<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Yemen says ready for Houthi escalation after rebels target Saudi Arabia Middle East The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}