The United States has tightened its travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, barring government employees from travelling within 20 miles of the Yemen border amid growing security concerns.
Houthi forces have advanced through several Yemeni towns along the Red Sea coast since last week and seized islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The group has also released footage claiming to show its fighters capturing armoured vehicles belonging to Saudi-backed forces.
The Houthis have claimed that they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet, although no independent evidence has been presented to support the claim. Saudi authorities have not immediately confirmed the report.
Houthi officials have also claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen this week. Officials aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government have acknowledged that Saudi and allied forces are conducting air operations against Houthi targets.
At the same time, Houthi forces have repeatedly launched attacks toward Saudi territory, triggering security alerts in parts of the kingdom. The escalation comes after an attack attributed to Iran-aligned fighters in Iraq reportedly disrupted Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, a key route for transporting crude exports while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
Saudi authorities have also reported intercepting a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered restricted airspace around the holy city. The Houthis have denied targeting Makkah and rejected the Saudi account.
The escalation in Yemen is adding further pressure to an already strained global energy market. The conflict comes amid continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, increasing concerns over the availability and movement of oil supplies.
Brent crude prices have remained near their highest levels in months, while disruptions to Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could affect a significant share of global oil supplies if the outage continues. Saudi Arabia has not provided a firm timeline for the full resumption of pipeline operations.
Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis since 2015, although the conflict had significantly declined in intensity following a ceasefire in recent years. Tensions increased again after the Houthis announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and launched attacks against areas in the southern part of the kingdom.
The latest escalation has intensified pressure on Saudi-backed Yemeni forces as Houthi fighters expand their presence in strategically important areas along the Red Sea.
Saudi leadership has sought additional military and intelligence support from the United States as the conflict expands. Washington previously conducted a two-month military campaign against the Houthis in 2025 before reaching a ceasefire aimed at ending attacks on shipping.
The renewed Houthi offensive has created a difficult strategic situation for the United States, with increased involvement potentially expanding the conflict into another regional theatre, while limited intervention could allow further disruption to energy supplies and maritime trade.
