63 killed as government forces and Houthi rebels clash inside Yemen

Intense fighting in Yemen on Thursday left at least 63 people dead, according to sources from both sides speaking to AFP, amid continued Saudi airstrikes and Houthi attacks involving missiles and drones. The European Union declared its “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia against the Houthi assaults.

A Yemeni government military official said 23 government forces were killed in Houthi rocket and drone attacks as well as ground clashes in the provinces of Taiz and Lahij. Houthi sources reported 40 of their fighters killed in Saudi airstrikes on Taiz and related fighting with government troops. The Houthi-run Al-Masirah channel said one person was killed and another injured in two Saudi airstrikes on the city of Abs, and reported strikes on three communications towers in Taiz province.

The International Organization for Migration said more than 100,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the latest wave of fighting, most of them within the country.

In Saudi Arabia, civil defense authorities reported that a Yemeni resident was killed and a Saudi citizen and a Pakistani resident were injured by falling shrapnel after a Houthi drone was intercepted and destroyed over Taif province. The Pakistani man’s condition was described as critical, and the debris also caused material damage to buildings and vehicles. Saudi television later reported, citing civil defense, that the threat had been lifted over Abha and Khamis Mushait.

EU spokesperson Anouar El Anouni stated that the bloc stands in “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and called on the Houthis to “cease any military action,” adding that “targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is unacceptable.”

Diplomatic moves accompanied the escalation. Three informed Iranian sources said China had privately asked Tehran to use its influence over the Houthis to help restrain them, following a Saudi appeal to Beijing after Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. China publicly urged restraint, dialogue, and the restoration of navigational security, while seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading to critical energy routes.

Related maritime incidents were reported. A maritime authority noted an incident about 75 nautical miles east of Aden, and an oil tanker heading west said a small boat pursued and attempted to intercept it. Italy said it was preparing its navy to protect commercial vessels amid tensions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Turkey’s Defense Ministry warned that Houthi threats in the Red Sea and the strait were harming global maritime trade.

In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker caught fire after being targeted while attempting to transit the strait “illegally,” and that the vessel stopped sailing after the blaze. Navigation through the strait remains restricted; Iran has said it will stay closed until the United States lifts its blockade of Iranian ports.

In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearing a decision on whether to resume intensive attacks on Iran. In an interview with Axios he remarked: “I have an important decision. Do I want to get involved and wipe them out or not? It’s a big decision. Anything can happen with me.” No negotiations between the United States and Iran have taken place since a temporary agreement collapsed in June.

The U.S. State Department announced that a high-level Iranian delegation would be allowed to attend United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York next week, consistent with America’s obligations as host country. This would enable visas for officials including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Separately, the State Department approved a potential sale of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia valued at approximately $24.3 billion. The package would include 48 aircraft, 49 engines, communications equipment, spare parts, and other support items. Saudi Arabia had requested the aircraft in early 2025; if completed, the deal would mark a significant shift in U.S. policy concerning Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.

The developments reflect a broader escalation involving ground fighting in Yemen, cross-border drone and missile threats, disruptions to key shipping lanes, and intensified diplomatic and military signaling among regional and international actors.