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Gone quiet · last update Sep 24, 2026 / Houthis

The Houthis' attacks on Red Sea shipping and the US and Israeli strikes on Yemen

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked Israel and Red Sea shipping after the October 2023 outbreak of the Gaza war, disrupting commercial routes and drawing US, British and Israeli strikes on Yemen. President Donald Trump halted the US bombing campaign in May 2025, but attacks on Israel and shipping continued. In 2026, Houthi threats disrupted Saudi oil shipments during the US-Iran war, and Saudi Arabia sought a maritime defence coalition.[1][2][3][5][7][29][31][32][33]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Oct 2023: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 3 of 3 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 13% (left 3%, center 7%, right 3%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 20% (left 6%, center 9%, right 5%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share 29% (left 9%, center 14%, right 7%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 13% (left 3%, center 7%, right 3%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 7% (left 2%, center 3%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 3% (left under 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 6% (left 2%, center 3%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 8% (left 2%, center 4%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 8% (left 2%, center 4%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 6% (left 1%, center 3%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 6% (left 1%, center 4%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 5% (left 1%, center 2%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 10% (left 2%, center 6%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 9% (left 2%, center 4%, right 3%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 9% (left 3%, center 5%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 3% (left under 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 6% (left 1%, center 3%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share under 1% (left under 1%, center under 1%, right under 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 8 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (77 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 21, 202636211 of 4792%
Sep 14, 202637212 of 4803%
Sep 7, 20262114 of 4801%
Aug 10, 20262327 of 5451%
Jul 27, 20262226 of 5611%
Jul 20, 202625411 of 5622%
Oct 13, 20252316 of 1823%
Sep 22, 202537313 of 1897%
Sep 8, 202546010 of 2145%
Sep 1, 202529213 of 1777%
Aug 25, 2025917733 of 19917%
Aug 18, 202529617 of 1919%
Jul 7, 2025214723 of 19112%
Jun 30, 20251113 of 2171%
Jun 9, 20253205 of 1993%
May 5, 20257131232 of 20116%
Apr 28, 2025816428 of 20414%
Apr 21, 202569217 of 2068%
Apr 14, 2025715527 of 20113%
Mar 24, 202546313 of 1947%
Mar 17, 2025712625 of 19513%
Mar 10, 202510171441 of 19821%
Mar 3, 20251225 of 2022%
Jan 20, 202536615 of 2267%
Jan 6, 20251315 of 2212%
Dec 30, 20241427 of 1954%
Dec 23, 2024821736 of 19219%
Dec 16, 202411341257 of 22625%
Nov 4, 20241506 of 2233%
Oct 14, 20247101027 of 19514%
Oct 7, 202418413 of 2056%
Sep 30, 202429415 of 2227%
Sep 23, 20240055 of 2142%
Sep 16, 20241405 of 2092%
Sep 9, 2024617528 of 23012%
Sep 2, 202419212 of 2126%
Aug 26, 202437414 of 2047%
Aug 19, 202409413 of 2096%
Aug 12, 202439315 of 2177%
Aug 5, 20242428 of 2024%
Jul 29, 202429011 of 2285%
Jul 22, 20242002 of 2341%
Jul 15, 202417281156 of 22025%
Jul 8, 202446414 of 1848%
Jun 24, 202425411 of 2504%
Jun 17, 2024815528 of 22213%
Jun 10, 2024913729 of 24712%
Jun 3, 20242125 of 2282%
May 27, 2024912425 of 24710%
May 20, 20241225 of 2262%
May 13, 2024310316 of 2167%
May 6, 20242428 of 2363%
Apr 29, 202428313 of 2375%
Apr 22, 20242428 of 2234%
Apr 1, 2024110213 of 2645%
Mar 25, 20240112 of 2451%
Mar 11, 2024611623 of 2439%
Mar 4, 202415201348 of 25419%
Feb 26, 20241010727 of 25611%
Feb 19, 202413281455 of 23224%
Feb 12, 2024615627 of 24211%
Feb 5, 2024211316 of 2427%
Jan 29, 202415321158 of 23525%
Jan 22, 202422291566 of 23828%
Jan 15, 202422371675 of 22334%
Jan 8, 2024314725103 of 24342%
Jan 1, 202410201343 of 23219%
Dec 25, 202317231151 of 20725%
Dec 18, 20231828955 of 23623%
Dec 11, 202313231450 of 22522%
Dec 4, 202399725 of 21712%
Nov 27, 2023821736 of 23515%
Nov 20, 2023821736 of 20118%
Nov 13, 20239121031 of 21514%
Nov 6, 202346414 of 2376%
Oct 30, 20232529 of 2334%
Oct 16, 202359418 of 2487%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 24, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WFMZ Allentown

    Yemen tells UN that Houthi rebels' moves on key strait threaten global economy

Background

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed missile and drone attacks on Israel in October 2023. That month, US officials reported a Navy warship intercepting missiles and drones near Yemen.[1][8] In November, the Houthis seized the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader and took its 25 crew members hostage.[2] Subsequent missile attacks hit commercial ships, according to the US military.[9] Maersk, BP and other companies suspended Red Sea journeys.[10][11][12]

Read the full background (5 more paragraphs)

International forces responded to the shipping attacks. The Pentagon announced a multinational protection mission in December 2023.[13] Later that month, US Navy helicopters sank Houthi boats and killed their crews after responding to a merchant ship's distress call, US officials said.[14] The demanded an end to attacks, and the United States and Britain launched strikes on Houthi targets in January 2024.[15][3][4] Two Navy SEALs lost during an operation to seize weapons headed for the Houthis were declared dead.[17] The European Union launched a separate naval protection mission.[20]

Attacks continued through 2024. The damaged Rubymar sank in March, the first ship lost in the Houthi campaign, and an attack on the True Confidence caused the campaign's first shipping fatalities.[18][19] The Houthis also claimed to have shot down US drones; the US military did not immediately acknowledge the incident described in the cited report.[21]

The exchange of attacks with Israel intensified. A Houthi drone killed a person in Tel Aviv in July 2024, and Israeli forces struck Yemen the next day.[5] Further missile attacks and Israeli strikes followed later that year, including strikes on Sanaa airport and ports.[22][23] In May 2025, a Houthi missile landed near Israel's Ben Gurion airport and disrupted flights.[29] In August, the Houthis said an Israeli strike in Sanaa killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, prime minister of their administration.[30]

US policy and operations also changed. The Biden administration relisted the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist entity in 2024.[16] In January 2025, Trump signed an order initiating their redesignation as a foreign terrorist organisation.[25] That month, the Houthis released the Galaxy Leader's crew after Omani mediation.[24] Trump ordered new airstrikes in March, and the Houthis threatened retaliation.[6][26] Houthi-run media reported dozens killed in US strikes on the Ras Issa fuel port.[27] The Houthis also alleged a US strike killed African migrants in a prison; the cited reporting said there was no immediate independent confirmation of the toll and the US military had not acknowledged that strike.[28] In May, Trump announced a halt to US bombing, saying the Houthis had pledged to stop attacking US ships.[7]

The halt did not end the maritime conflict. In July 2025, rescuers searched for missing crew after the Houthis sank the Eternity C.[31] In July 2026, Reuters reported that tankers carrying Saudi crude reversed course after Houthi threats during the US-Iran war.[32] Saudi Arabia pursued a coalition to protect shipping routes.[33] In September, reports said the Houthis seized the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea.[34]

Supporting stories (34)
  1. Yemen's Houthi rebels claim attacks on Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer to Hamas war - The Daily Reporter
  2. Yemen's Houthi rebels hijack an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and take 25 crew members hostage
  3. U.S. launches additional strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen
  4. US, British militaries launch new round of joint strikes against multiple Houthi sites in Yemen
  5. Israeli military says it has struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks
  6. Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and issues new warning - Boston News, Weather, Sports
  7. Trump says US to stop strikes on Houthis in Yemen
  8. US Navy warship in Red Sea intercepts three missiles, several drones heading north out of Yemen
  9. 3 commercial ships hit by missiles in Houthi attack in Red Sea, US warship downs 3 drones
  10. Shipping companies suspend Red Sea traffic after Yemen rebel attacks
  11. Oil and gas prices jump as BP stops Red Sea shipments because of attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels
  12. Maersk halts Red Sea shipping until further notice after Houthi militant attack
  13. Pentagon announces new international mission to counter attacks on commercial vessels in Red Sea
  14. US Navy helicopters fire at Yemen’s Houthi rebels and kill several in latest Red Sea shipping attack
  15. UN Security Council adopts resolution demanding that Houthi rebels stop attacks on Red Sea shipping
  16. The U.S. has designated Houthis as terrorists once again
  17. Two US Navy SEALs missing off the coast of Somalia are dead, officials say
  18. Ship recently hit by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, 1st vessel lost in conflict
  19. Houthi missile attack kills three crew members in Yemen rebels’ first fatal assault on shipping
  20. EU launches Red Sea mission as US ship attacked twice
  21. Yemen's Houthi rebels claim shooting down another US MQ-9 Reaper drone as footage shows wreckage
  22. Tel Aviv hit by missile fired from Yemen, Israel and Houthis say
  23. Israel strikes Houthi targets in Yemen's capital. WHO chief says he was nearby
  24. Yemen's Houthi Rebels Release Crew of Commercial Vessel Seized in Red Sea in November 2023
  25. Trump designates Yemen’s Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
  26. Trump threatens Houthi rebels that they'll be 'completely annihilated' as airstrikes pound Yemen
  27. US strikes on oil port in Yemen kill 74 people, Houthi rebels say
  28. Yemen’s Houthis claim dozens killed in alleged US airstrike on prison holding African migrants
  29. Israel says it has disabled Yemen’s main airport with airstrikes against rebels
  30. Israeli airstrike kills Houthi rebel prime minister in Yemen’s capital
  31. Ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, 6 of 25 aboard rescued
  32. Tankers with Saudi crude turn back as Houthis open new front in US-Iran war
  33. Saudi Arabia forms Red Sea defense coalition to protect against Houthi attacks
  34. Houthis seize 2 strategic Red Sea islands

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 186 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. Yemen tells UN that Houthi rebels’ moves on key strait threaten global economyHeadline from WHEC Rochester · 3 outlets
  2. Yemen’s Houthi rebels shook up the Mideast with a sudden blitz. Iran helped, sources tell AP.Headline from The Boston Globe · 5 outlets
  3. G7 foreign ministers call on Iran to stop arming HouthisHeadline from Al-Monitor · 4 outlets
  4. EU's Kallas says Red Sea naval mission needs more than 10 shipsHeadline from Al-Monitor · 3 outlets
  5. Houthis seize 2 strategic Red Sea islandsHeadline from Las Vegas Review-Journal · 16 outlets
  6. Saudi airstrikes hit rebel-held Mokha airport in Yemen, Houthi broadcaster saysHeadline from The Boston Globe · 3 outlets

August 2026

  1. Crew of Yemeni vessel recount their chaotic rescue after Houthis’ deadly attackHeadline from Daily Journal · 8 outlets

July 2026

  1. Saudi Arabia forms Red Sea defense coalition to protect against Houthi attacksHeadline from The Hill · 9 outlets
  2. Yemen’s Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red SeaHeadline from Al Jazeera · 4 outlets
  3. Trump says U.S. will ‘take care’ of Houthis if Red Sea strait blockedHeadline from Phl17 · 8 outlets
  4. Tankers with Saudi crude turn back as Houthis open new front in US-Iran warHeadline from Union Leader · 4 outlets

October 2025

  1. Chief of staff of Yemen Houthi rebel’s military dies from wounds suffered in Israeli airstrikeHeadline from The Columbian · 7 outlets

September 2025

  1. Yemen drone attack injures more than 20 in Israeli city of Eilat, including two in serious conditionHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 16 outlets
  2. Israeli airstrikes on Yemen kill at least 35, Houthi officials sayHeadline from NBC News · 8 outlets
  3. Israel strikes Yemen's Sanaa, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV saysHeadline from Al-Monitor · 5 outlets
  4. Sirens fail as Houthi drone hits arrivals hall at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, authorities sayHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 14 outlets

August 2025

  1. Houthis storm UN buildings in Yemeni capital after Israel killed PM and other ministersHeadline from KRDO · 9 outlets
  2. Israeli airstrike kills Houthi rebel prime minister in Yemen’s capitalHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 36 outlets
  3. Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital, targeting Iran-backed HouthisHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 21 outlets

July 2025

  1. Ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, 6 of 25 aboard rescuedHeadline from New York Post · 9 outlets
  2. Israel targets Yemen's Houthis with airstrikes after missile launched by rebel groupHeadline from NBC News · 18 outlets
  3. U.K. military: Crew abandons Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship attacked in Red SeaHeadline from The Columbian · 5 outlets

June 2025

  1. Israeli navy attacks Yemen's rebel-held port city of Hodeida for first time in the conflictHeadline from NBC News · 6 outlets

May 2025

  1. Trump says US to stop strikes on Houthis in YemenHeadline from KTVZ Bend · 21 outlets
  2. Israel says it has disabled Yemen’s main airport with airstrikes against rebelsHeadline from Anchorage Daily News · 29 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →