Report: Iranian support for Houthi attacks that killed 13 in Riyadh
Key Facts
The Wall Street Journal, citing people briefed on Saudi and Yemeni intelligence, said Iran had helped the Houthis target attacks with missiles and drones, alongside training, intelligence and tactical guidance. The report says the alleged support goes beyond supplying the group with weapons to include operational aspects of carrying out attacks. The report did not describe the support as direct Iranian involvement in operations. This comes as Houthi attacks on Saudi targets have expanded. The report said a strike in Riyadh killed at least 13 people during the weekend before its publication.
The Houthis’ targets have included oil tankers, energy facilities and Saudi airports, according to the newspaper. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition told The Associated Press that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had been targeted 20 times during the month, according to the agency’s report published on 15 October 2026. Attacks have also hit aviation and oil facilities and military sites, according to coverage. These incidents show the reported targets widening from civilian infrastructure to energy facilities and military sites. The available information did not include data on the news’ effect on oil prices or regional markets.
The significance of the developments is tied to Bab al-Mandab’s location on the Red Sea coast. The Wall Street Journal said the Houthis now control the opposite coast at the strait, which it described as a chokepoint for Saudi oil exports. The Associated Press said the group had seized coastal territory at Bab al-Mandab, and that the Saudi-led coalition launched a military offensive earlier in the month to retake those areas. The newspaper report links the Houthis’ rapid advance along the coast to the Iranian support it described. That military development is close to a route linked to Saudi energy exports.
Saudi diplomat Raed Kremli told The Associated Press that the kingdom believed Iran was encouraging Houthi escalation, adding: "We believe that the Houthis’ escalation at this late stage of the conflict is being encouraged by Iran." Kremli accused Tehran of continuing to arm, train and support the Houthis. The agency, in turn, reported that Iran denies arming the group. It also said Iranian weapons shipments and parts had been smuggled into Yemen and seized, and that a 2024 report by United Nations experts documented extensive military links between the Houthis, Iran and its allies. The description of operational support in the Wall Street Journal report remains attributed to people who said they had seen intelligence.
The background to the Houthis’ military strength points to expanded recruitment during the years of conflict. The Associated Press cited a report by United Nations experts saying the group had recruited as many as 350,000 fighters by 2024, compared with about 30,000 in 2015. Amid the escalation, the agency said the Houthis resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia in July and declared a blockade on Saudi shipping. That announcement, together with attacks on airports and oil facilities, puts shipping and infrastructure among the flashpoints on the ground. The available information did not include figures on shipping losses or disruptions to oil exports.
On the diplomatic front, Kremli said Saudi Arabia had invited the Houthis to a meeting in Oman in July 2026 to resolve disputes and halt the escalation, but they declined to take part. The report did not give a new date for talks between the sides. On the ground, The Associated Press reported that the Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive earlier in the month to retake the coastal areas seized by the Houthis at Bab al-Mandab. The confrontation over the coast is therefore continuing alongside the stalled Saudi invitation to dialogue. The available information does not include a timeline for military operations or any subsequent negotiating track.