Saudi Arabia

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at UNGA 81, calling threats to holy sites a "red line." His remarks came as Pakistan and Turkiye sent military chiefs to Riyadh for an urgent meeting.

War-risk premiums for Saudi Red Sea calls have hit 3% and rates south of Yanbu have exceeded 7%, pushing voyage insurance costs toward $3 million to $7 million as Houthi control of Bab el-Mandeb and Perim Island raises risks for Saudi-linked shipping. The higher premiums, reduced vessel availability, and Cape of Good Hope diversions are driving up freight, fuel, food, and fertilizer costs for Ethiopia, which depends on the Djibouti corridor for about 96.7% of its seaborne trade.

Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces say they have seized full control of Mount Qarfan in the western governorate of Taiz after fierce battles with Houthi fighters that killed five Houthis and wounded 20. The capture gives government troops fire control and surveillance over valleys in southern Taiz, disrupting Houthi defences as the group pushes toward the Kahboub Mountains overlooking the Red Sea. The Houthis have not commented on the claim.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government has launched a military and diplomatic push to reverse Houthi gains after losing the Red Sea coast earlier this month, claiming the capture of Mount Qarafan and other strategic positions in Taiz while thwarting a Houthi infiltration attempt near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. At the UN General Assembly, Yemeni officials are rallying international support for their campaign, as recent fighting has displaced about 132,000 people, including 75,000 in Taiz alone.