Houthis Advance Along Yemeni Coast, Threatening Saudi Oil Exports in Red Sea

UN warns of a more dangerous phase

The latest Houthi gains prompted warnings from the United Nations about the wider consequences of the escalation.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council that the international community must respond to what he described as a “new and more dangerous phase” in Yemen’s conflict. He said the Houthi capture of Mocha had given the group a direct presence near one of the world’s most vital maritime passages and raised serious concerns about freedom of navigation.

The United States accused the Houthis of acting as agents of Iran. Jenifer Neidhart de Ortiz, the US representative at the Security Council meeting, described the escalation as unacceptable and said those supporting the group would bear responsibility for its consequences.

Iran, meanwhile, called for dialogue and said the Yemen conflict could not be resolved through military action or a blockade. Tehran did not address allegations that it had helped direct the latest Houthi offensive.

Yemeni, Iranian and regional sources told Reuters that members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had provided direct guidance to the Houthis during their advance along the coast.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said the group’s operations were defensive and would end if attacks on Yemen stopped. The Houthis entered the wider regional conflict in March with an attack on Israel and declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July, followed by an escalation in attacks this month.

The fighting has also intensified in other parts of Yemen as Saudi-backed forces attempt to halt the Houthi advance. Saudi civil defence authorities issued emergency alerts in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait for the fourth time within 24 hours as Houthi attacks continued.

Pakistan has also attempted to prevent the conflict from spreading further. Islamabad delivered a warning to Iran urging Tehran to rein in the Houthis and prevent Riyadh from launching a broader response. According to Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources, a senior Iranian official responded that Iran did not control the Houthis.

The escalation is occurring alongside the largest declared wave of US-Iranian attacks on Gulf shipping since the war began in late February.