Several trends are continuing this week in the Gulf and in Yemen. The Houthis are continuing their war against the Yemen government. The Saudis continue to confront the Houthis. At the same time Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense ministers have agreed to establish a forward military command in Kuwait as regional tensions intensify amid renewed fighting in Yemen, Iranian threats to maritime shipping and ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The trends are important. The GCC is strengthening and learning lessons from 9 months of conflict. The Houthis are suffering losses.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen reported a series of Saudi military attacks on Wednesday, including airstrikes in Taiz and Lahj provinces, artillery shelling along the Saudi-Yemen border and an attempted incursion into airspace over the capital, Sanaa, by Saudi F-15 fighter jets. The claims were published by the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah media network, which described the incidents as part of a renewed Saudi military escalation.
While some of this may be Houthi propaganda, it’s worth reading what the Houthis claim to understand how they perceive what is happening. They have been on the offensive in the last months but they also suffered setbacks. They are laying siege to the city of Taiz for instance. They also claim there have been civilians killed in he fighting in Saadah province.
Yemen’s Houthi-run Health and Environment Ministry spokesperson, Dr. Anis al-Asbahi, claimed civilians were wounded in the al-Jubbanah area of Razeh district. A fourth civilian was reportedly wounded in an attack on the center of Qatabir district.
Houthis claim air defenses detected Saudi fighter jets entering Sanaa airspace
Al-Masirah also reported Saudi artillery shelling in the border district of Shada. In a separate development, the Houthis claimed that their air defenses had detected a formation of Saudi F-15 fighter jets attempting to enter airspace over Sanaa.
According to a statement published by Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, Houthi air defenses were used against the Saudi aircraft. The Houthis have developed air defenses with the backing of Iran over the last decade. The claim comes amid Houthi assertions that Saudi Arabia has resumed air operations against areas under their control.
Al-Masirah reported that Saudi warplanes conducted several airstrikes around midnight in al-Shamayatayn district in Taiz province and al-Maqatirah district in neighboring Lahj province. According to a security source cited by the network, one strike targeted the Barh al-Dhahr area in Taiz, while another hit the al-Ma’in area in Zariqah al-Sham in Lahj. The network said the strikes followed additional attacks on Tuesday evening. The Houthis portrayed the reported incidents as an expansion of Saudi military operations, involving both border shelling and airstrikes farther south.
GCC ministers agree to establish forward military command in Kuwait
Meanwhile Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) defense ministers have agreed to establish a forward military command in Kuwait as regional tensions intensify amid renewed fighting in Yemen, Iranian threats to maritime shipping and ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. This is important and reflects lessons learned from nine months of conflict.
According to Arab News, the decision was announced Tuesday by GCC Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi following the 23rd session of the GCC Joint Defense Council in Bahrain. The new headquarters will operate under the GCC Unified Military Command and will have military forces assigned to it.
The decision follows an extraordinary GCC summit in Jeddah in April that called for greater military coordination in response to common threats.
Al-Budaiwi condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf states and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that “the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of the security of all GCC countries.” The announcement came as Yemen’s internationally recognized government reported a major military offensive against the Iranian-backed Houthis.
According to Arab News, Yemeni government military spokesperson Majed al-Nuzaili said government-aligned forces had conducted 874 attacks against Houthi targets over several hours as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen. The military claimed approximately 190 Houthi fighters and commanders had been killed or wounded, while around 130 military vehicles and other pieces of equipment were destroyed or damaged.
The operations reportedly included 29 airstrikes, 39 drone strikes, 62 rocket-launcher missions and 744 artillery missions. Government-aligned forces, including the Nation’s Shield Forces, Giants Brigades and National Resistance, also claimed territorial gains on southern and southwestern fronts. Fighting continued in Marib, al-Jawf, Taiz and other areas.
Meanwhile, Iran reported that an oil tanker struck a mine and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported a tanker incident but could not confirm the crew’s condition or the extent of damage. The incidents illustrate continuing threats to shipping through the strategic waterway, which carries approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies. The US has been escorting vessels through Hormuz while maintaining a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Diplomatic efforts are also continuing. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met representatives of Qatar, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris. According to the Saudi Press Agency, participants discussed Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure, efforts to reduce US-Iran tensions and the importance of protecting maritime trade routes.
Together, the developments illustrate how Yemen and the Gulf are connected. They face common security challenges. Iran views this as one long, 3,000 mile frontline.
At the same time the US is moving to shore up its diplomatic footprint in the Gulf. Al-Arabiya noted that “President Donald Trump’s nominee to become the next US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Wesley Hunt, pledged Tuesday to deepen Washington’s strategic partnership with Riyadh while defending the administration’s approach to civilian nuclear cooperation with the Kingdom.” He was nominated in September. “Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hunt described Saudi Arabia as a cornerstone of US security and economic interests in the Middle East, highlighting opportunities to strengthen defense cooperation, expand trade and investment, and advance regional stability,” Al-Arabiya added.
Meanwhile, The National reported that “US President Donald Trump has nominated former Kansas governor Jeffrey Colyer to be the American ambassador to the UAE.” The report added tha t”The UAE has been without a US ambassador since Martina Strong left in August 2025. The Trump administration has been slow to appoint envoys to key posts, including in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq remain without confirmed US ambassadors.”
On November 10 the White House also noted that it had nominated “Matthew Millhollin, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Sultanate of Oman.”
