Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Saudi Arabia in dangerous stand-off with Yemen's Houthis
In a country called Yemen, there is a big disagreement between two groups.
One group is called the Houthis, and the other side is helped by Saudi Arabia, a large and wealthy country.
Saudi Arabia has been bombing places where the Houthis are, including a city called Hodeidah.
The Houthis can fight back with drones, which are like remote-control flying machines, and with missiles.
Because of that, Saudi Arabia is being careful and may not want to repeat the very big bombing campaigns it did in the past.
A few years ago, Saudi Arabia led massive air attacks against the Houthis.
The United Arab Emirates was also helping, but its soldiers left Yemen in January, so Saudi Arabia is now more on its own.
The groups that are against the Houthis are more united now than they were at the beginning of the year.
Still, it is not clear that they can win a serious fight.
Right now, both sides are watching each other carefully, and no one knows for sure how the stand-off will end.
Saudi Arabia is locked in a dangerous stand-off with Yemen's Houthi movement.
Saudi forces have bombed several Houthi positions, including Hodeidah on July 24th.
Yemen's anti-Houthi forces are more united than at the start of the year, when they were split into rival factions backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
The kingdom may be reluctant to reprise the massive air raids of the 2010s because Houthi drones and missiles give new ways to retaliate.
Any campaign would have to proceed without the UAE, whose forces left Yemen in January at the Saudis' behest.
- Who
- Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement, with Yemen's anti-Houthi forces and the United Arab Emirates also involved
- What
- A military stand-off in which Saudi Arabia has bombed Houthi positions, including Hodeidah, while weighing whether to launch a larger air campaign
- When
- Ongoing; Hodeidah was bombed on July 24th, and UAE forces left Yemen in January
- Where
- Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah
- Why
- Saudi Arabia is trying to counter the Houthis, but it faces the risk of retaliation from Houthi drones and missiles and lacks UAE support for a major campaign
- Conflict
- Stand-off between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement
- Saudi airstrikes
- Several Houthi positions bombed, including Hodeidah
- Hodeidah attack date
- July 24th
- UAE withdrawal
- Forces left Yemen in January at the Saudis' request
- Houthi retaliation capabilities
- Drones and missiles
- Anti-Houthi forces
- More united than at the start of the year; previously rival factions backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE
- Saudi historical approach
- Massive air raids against the Houthis in the 2010s