Yemen in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In Yemen in September 2026 politics was dominated by the international response to the Houthi offensive and to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The most covered development was a meeting between US officials and Houthi representatives in Oman, reported on 16 September as a rare direct engagement; the Houthis promised not to attack American and Israeli ships, while a separate report said Washington told them it would not negotiate. Donald Trump said the Houthis don't want to fight the United States, declined a Saudi request for US strikes, offered intelligence support instead, and on 21 September called Yemen's president without a military pledge. The UN envoy warned the Security Council that Yemen's renewed war risked becoming prolonged and spreading into a wider regional conflict.
Saudi Arabia sought help elsewhere. It asked Britain for assistance, turned quietly to Israel, and reportedly appealed to China, which pressed Iran to rein in the Houthis. Pakistan warned Iran to restrain them and, after the Houthi attack on Mecca, said the Mecca defence pact was defensive and nothing aggressive. Egypt's president and the Saudi crown prince jointly demanded free navigation in the Red Sea, and Qatar warned that closing the Bab al-Mandab strait would be catastrophic. Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the EU condemned the attacks, and Saudi Arabia used the UN General Assembly on 26 September to urge the world to reject Houthi practices. Iran's president said Tehran was ready to help resolve the dispute between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The Yemeni government condemned the attacks, said it had decided to retake Sanaa, and later called a general mobilisation. Iran and the United States exchanged threats, and talks between Gulf states and Iran on a Strait of Hormuz arrangement were postponed because of events in Yemen. Trump rejected Iran's proposal for a deal on the strait.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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