Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE: US issues advisory for Saudi after Mecca drone scare; Houthis deny attack

Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: The US has warned Americans to ‘reconsider travel’ to Saudi Arabia. Houthi attacks on Saudi targets have intensified, while Riyadh has stepped up strikes against the rebel group in Yemen.

This image shows what the group says are Houthi fighters firing a weapon mounted on a pickup truck during combat with Saudi-backed forces in eastern Jawf, Yemen. (Ansar Allah Media Office via AP)

Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city, the Saudi-led coalition said Wednesday. However, the Yemeni rebel group rejected the Saudi claim as Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad said they had not targeted Mecca....Read More

Follow all the updates here:

• 16 Sept 2026, 09:28:25 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi oil faces a double blow

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia is facing pressure on both its oil infrastructure and export routes. The East-West Pipeline was damaged in an attack attributed by Saudi Arabia to drones originating from Iraq, while Houthi advances threaten Red Sea shipping. The pipeline is designed to help Saudi Arabia bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

• 16 Sept 2026, 09:15:06 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Why Bab el-Mandeb has become the new flashpoint

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for ships moving between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Houthi territorial gains around the waterway have raised concerns about Saudi Arabia’s ability to use the Red Sea as an alternative route for oil exports when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

• 16 Sept 2026, 09:09:52 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia turns to Egypt as Houthi attacks escalate

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo as Riyadh seeks wider regional support against escalating Houthi attacks.

  Both sides stressed the need to protect navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb. Egypt did not announce military support, but Cairo could provide diplomatic backing among Arab countries.

• 16 Sept 2026, 09:06:44 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi oil infrastructure comes under pressure

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia's 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline, which connects the kingdom's oil-producing region in the east to the Red Sea, was damaged in a separate attack that Riyadh blamed on an Iran-aligned group based in Iraq.

  The pipeline is particularly important because it provides Saudi Arabia with a way to export oil without relying entirely on the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely disrupted during the conflict.

  A prolonged shutdown could affect as much as 4% of global oil supply, according to traders cited by Reuters.

• 16 Sept 2026, 09:04:02 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Fighting moves closer to the Red Sea

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: One of the biggest developments is the Houthis' push towards Yemen's western coastline.

  The group has made gains around the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The strategic waterway is crucial for global shipping and is particularly important to Saudi Arabia because the kingdom uses routes through the Red Sea to move oil when the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted.

  Houthi forces have reportedly gained control of strategically important areas and islands around the Red Sea coast.

• 16 Sept 2026, 08:57:49 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia attacks Yemen

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: The Houthis say Saudi Arabia responded with a large number of airstrikes on Houthi-held territory.

  The group claimed that Saudi forces carried out 121 strikes over three days, followed by another claim of 54 airstrikes in a 12-hour period. Houthi media later reported additional strikes. These battlefield claims have not all been independently verified.

  The renewed Saudi strikes are part of a broader counteroffensive by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government, which has been fighting to regain territory from the Houthis.

• 16 Sept 2026, 08:57:05 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: Houthis launched attacks inside Saudi Arabia

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: On September 8, the Houthis claimed a large-scale missile and drone operation against Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attacks targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran and Jizan, as well as Khamis Mushait Air Base. The group said the strikes were retaliation for Saudi attacks on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

  Saudi authorities confirmed attacks on energy-related facilities and other installations in the kingdom's south. Saudi officials said the attacks wounded at least 73 people, including women and children. Fires were also reported at oil installations and utility sites. (Al Jazeera)

• 16 Sept 2026, 08:56:12 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: What has been happening?

  Saudi-Houthi conflict LIVE updates: The latest Saudi-Houthi escalation began with a deterioration in fighting inside Yemen after months of relative calm. The UN-brokered truce that halted large-scale fighting in 2022 had reduced the intensity of the Saudi-Houthi conflict, but clashes resumed in July and have intensified in recent weeks.

• 16 Sept 2026, 08:18:30 AM IST

  Saudi-Houthi LIVE updates: Conflict flares again

  Saudi-Houthi LIVE updates: Saudi Arabia has led a coalition fighting the Houthis since 2015. The conflict had largely quietened in recent years after a ceasefire, but fighting has intensified again after the Houthis pushed back forces aligned with Yemen's government.