Houthi attacks Saudi Arabia Iran US talks — Yemen’s Houthi group launched large-scale attacks on the Saudi capital Riyadh and the Red Sea industrial hub of Yanbu on Saturday, September 19, 2026, marking a major escalation. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the operations involved ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, targeting “sensitive” sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu.

The Saudi-led coalition stated its air defenses intercepted a missile aimed at Riyadh and thwarted other attacks. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the strikes targeted civilians, vowing a response. Sarea denied this, calling the attacks retaliation for Saudi airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen.

This escalation forms a new front in the wider regional war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran in February 2026. Concurrently, Tehran has signaled a desire for the Houthi-Saudi fighting to end. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, outlined conditions for resuming stalled talks with Washington, including ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and lifting the U.S. naval blockade.