Saudi Arabia in July 2026: the most important developments in security
Saudi Arabia in July 2026 faced its most serious security confrontation in years, as Yemen's Houthis and Saudi forces exchanged strikes and the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi ports. On July 13 the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa airport and vowed retaliation. On July 14 they launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, targeting Abha airport, and presented the attack as their answer to the airport strike. Reports said Saudi Arabia had US approval before the Sanaa strike, and Axios reported that President Trump had given the green light.
The Red Sea became the second front. On July 21 the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and said they had turned back six ships. On July 22 they said they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers near Jeddah; Saudi Arabia confirmed one tanker was ablaze, while a Saudi source said the crew was safe. At least seven ships changed course. Pakistan warned it would use force to protect vessels in the Red Sea. On July 30 Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries established a multinational maritime defence coalition for the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Attacks on Saudi energy sites followed. On July 24 Saudi air defences intercepted an attack on an oil refinery, and the coalition command announced strikes on Houthi targets in Hodeidah; the Houthis said Saudi Arabia hit telecom facilities there. On July 25 the Houthis said they struck Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, and some of the missiles and drones were intercepted with the help of a Greek Patriot battery. On July 27 Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones launched from Iraq by Iran-backed militias at its oil facilities, while the Houthis claimed further attacks on oil infrastructure. Pakistan and Jordan condemned the Houthi attacks.
The fighting ran alongside the US-Iran confrontation. The US struck Iran after Trump's threats over Red Sea shipping, then paused strikes on July 25 for the first time in two weeks; the pause reportedly still held on July 27. On July 23 Trump signed a nuclear sharing deal with Saudi Arabia.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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