Yemen in July 2026: the most important developments in politics
Yemen's politics in July 2026 were dominated by the confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which drew a wave of statements from abroad. On July 13 the Houthis warned that a Saudi strike on Sanaa airport marked the end of the truce. On July 14 Kuwait condemned a Houthi attack on southern Saudi Arabia, and China called for de-escalation. On July 20 the Houthis announced a "maritime embargo" on Saudi Arabia, which they described as retaliation for a blockade on Yemen; Saudi Arabia condemned the announcement as false. On July 21 the United Nations said it was "very much concerned" by the Houthi threats, and Yemen's government warned Saudi Arabia of "serious consequences" if aggression and the blockade continued. President Trump warned the Houthis against blocking Saudi shipping. On July 22 Bangladesh condemned the blockade. On July 23 the United States and the United Kingdom carried out airstrikes on military facilities and weapons depots in Sanaa and Hodeidah. Trump said the US would hold Iran accountable for Houthi attacks, the UN said "escalation is not what Yemen needs", and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks on ships in a call with the Saudi crown prince. Iran called for dialogue and said the Yemen crisis had no military solution.
Iran's role was disputed. On July 6 Yemen's government condemned Iran for operating a flight to carry Houthi representatives to the funeral of Ali Khamenei in Tehran, calling it a violation of its sovereignty, while an Iranian envoy visited Yemen and the Houthis announced an air link to Tehran. On July 15 Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, warned Iran against further flights to Sanaa airport, and the UN envoy dismissed US allegations of Iranian arms smuggling to the Houthis. Saudi Arabia was reported on July 16 to be seeking mediation with the Houthis.
On July 2 a Saudi grant for Yemen's power sector was announced at Gulf-Iraq talks in Baghdad. Late in the month Yemen appointed its first female foreign minister.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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