Yemen Conflict Sees Houthi Strikes Hit Saudi Capital Riyadh in Most Dangerous Countries
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh and made rapid military gains along the Red Sea coast, escalating the country's civil war and contributing to a wider regional conflict involving Iran and the US in most dangerous countries.
Houthi Strikes Hit Saudi Capital
Houthi strikes on Riyadh caused a massive plume of black smoke near the main international airport, prompting a US State Department security alert about potential escalation. [1] Reuters video showed a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the area of Riyadh's main international airport following booms overnight. [1] The US State Department issued a security alert citing the Houthi hostilities and said there was potential for unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, with Americans advised to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. [1] Saudi Arabia did not comment on the incident, though a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had foiled other attacks on the kingdom. [1]
Rapid Houthi Advances on Yemen's West Coast
Houthi advances have given them control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, enabling a blockade that, combined with Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has cut off most Gulf energy exports and driven up oil prices. [1] The Houthi gains along the coast mean the group's forces now sit on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them easier control over shipping travelling between the Red Sea and Asia and the ability to blockade the crucial waterway. [1] With Iran already having blockaded most shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the oil-rich Gulf's energy exports are now almost entirely cut off from global markets, adding to pressure on oil prices. [1] A lightning advance by the Iran-backed group this month has extended the wider Middle East conflict to a new theater and further threatened global energy supplies. [5]
Saudi Airstrikes and Civilian Toll
Saudi airstrikes on Yemen's Red Sea port of Mokha killed at least six people as Houthis press their offensive. [2] Recent escalation by the Houthis has forced Riyadh into a painful dilemma: continue airstrikes on the group to stop it seizing more Yemeni territory or step back in the hopes of averting drone strikes on critical infrastructure. [1] Washington has so far rebuffed repeated pleas from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to join the fight in Yemen. [5]
Humanitarian Impact on Displaced Populations
Recent fighting has displaced approximately 129,438 people, including over 30,000 women of reproductive age, with nearly 3,000 pregnant women at risk of giving birth without access to life-saving care. [3][4] Escalating violence along Yemen’s western coast and the southern Ta’iz frontlines is severing access to essential reproductive health care and protection services for more than 30,000 women of reproductive age, placing their health and safety in grave danger. [3] On 20 September 2026, IOM Yemen DTM recorded the increase of 2,406 individual IDPs compared to the previous report, making the displacement between 1 August to 20 September reach an approximate of 128,382 individuals. [4] This brings the cumulative number recorded to 129,438 individuals. [4] UNFPA estimates that among over 120,000 people reportedly displaced by the recent escalation include approximately 30,000 women. [3]
US and Iranian Threats Escalate
The US prepared but ultimately called off planned airstrikes on the Houthis following Saudi pleas, while Iran and the US continue to exchange threats of retaliation and economic collapse. [1][5] Iran and the US exchanged new threats on Sunday (Sept 20), with President Donald Trump warning Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack. [1] In a phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out. [1] The New York Times reported that the Trump administration had prepared to launch airstrikes on Sunday against the Houthis after fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince, but Trump called off the airstrikes at the last minute, even as troops were loading bombs onto aircraft. [5] Earlier, Iran's military central command said any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests and that Washington's regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict. [1]
Broader Regional and Energy Crisis in Most Dangerous Countries
The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilled over into new regional escalations. [1] Despite the economic damage, there is little sign of a return to the interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June but fell apart in July amid disputes over its terms. [1] Iran reiterated on Sunday that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the terms of that June agreement, as it interpreted them, were met. [1] Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran would have to keep on fighting as well as negotiating, to push back its enemies and to consolidate any gains with diplomacy. [1] The escalation comes as the US and its allies face growing pressure to protect Saudi Arabia and regional energy infrastructure, while Donald Trump prepares to address the UN in New York. [2]
What to watch next: With Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would be open to meeting him.
