Reuters, citing Pakistani, regional and Western officials, reported that four Pakistani cargo planes carrying military equipment arrived in Aden last month, as Saudi Arabia prepares for a possible military operation against the Houthi militia in Yemen.

According to the officials, the Pakistani shipments included air-defense systems, light artillery, drones and counter-drone systems, as part of military support for Yemeni forces and preparations currently underway.

A Pakistani official, a Gulf official and a Western diplomat said that Pakistani military advisers are on the ground alongside Saudi advisers to support Yemeni forces. Reuters also reported that Turkish-made drones previously purchased by Saudi Arabia have been deployed over Yemen.

At the same time, Riyadh is focusing on strengthening the protection of its oil facilities and other critical infrastructure against possible Houthi missile and drone attacks in response to any new military operation. According to the sources, Saudi Arabia has asked several allies to help provide additional defensive capabilities.

A Pakistani official said Islamabad has deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops in Saudi Arabia to help protect the kingdom’s land borders and assist in intercepting missiles and drones. He said the troops began arriving in stages last year, with deployments continuing following the latest escalation.

The official stressed, however, that Islamabad has not decided to send Pakistani troops into Yemen to participate directly in combat operations.

Reuters also reported that France plans to send defensive systems and troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea coastal city of Yanbu.

These developments come as Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for a potential multi-front military operation against the Houthi militia, which could begin within the coming weeks. Yemeni forces operating under Saudi supervision are expected to lead the ground campaign, backed by Saudi air support.

According to the report, Riyadh is considering two main options. The first is a limited operation around the Bab al-Mandab Strait aimed at securing the Red Sea shipping route. The second is a broader offensive involving simultaneous operations on several fronts in Taiz, Marib, Al-Bayda and Al-Jawf.

Officials cited by Reuters estimate that more than 100,000 Yemeni fighters could be mobilized for the operation, depending on its final scale and scope.

Sources said one of the main objectives of the potential military campaign would be to reverse gains made by the Houthi militia along the coast last month, retake areas linked to the Bab al-Mandab Strait and secure the strategically vital maritime passage.

According to the report, Saudi Arabia’s allies are not expected to participate directly in combat. However, the United States is reportedly providing intelligence support for Saudi operations, while regional and European countries are supplying military and defensive assistance.

Senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti has issued threatening remarks targeting Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan following the signing of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, with his rhetoric notably focusing on Türkiye.

Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis' self-proclaimed Supreme Political Council who also serves as governor of Dhamar, appeared in a video criticizing the three countries and challenging their positions on Gaza and the Palestinian cause.

The Houthi official claimed that his group had done more to support Gaza and the Palestinians, citing Houthi missile and drone attacks against Israel as evidence of what he portrayed as the group's military support for the Palestinian cause.

His remarks, however, come as the Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks against Yemeni government forces. Military positions and units in Marib and Hadramout have recently come under Houthi attacks, resulting in multiple casualties among Yemeni troops.

Al-Bukhaiti's rhetoric against Türkiye is particularly significant given Ankara's prominent political stance in support of the Palestinian cause and its strong criticism of Israel's military operations in Gaza.

At the same time, Türkiye has maintained its support for Yemen's internationally recognized government, as well as the country's unity and territorial integrity, while providing humanitarian and development assistance to the Yemeni people.

The Houthi official's threats also coincide with sharp criticism from Iranian political figures of the Mecca defense agreement, highlighting the broader regional reaction to the emerging defense partnership between Ankara, Riyadh and Islamabad.

The agreement signed in Mecca seeks to strengthen defense and security cooperation among Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and enhance their collective deterrence against potential threats.

Al-Bukhaiti's statements indicate an expansion of the Houthis' threatening rhetoric beyond Saudi Arabia to include Türkiye and Pakistan, opening a new political and media confrontation following the three countries' defense agreement.

A recent international economic report by Visual Capitalist has ranked Yemen as the second poorest country in the world for 2025, with a GDP per capita of less than $400 per year, placing it just above South Sudan, which topped the list.

The report highlights Yemen’s deepening economic collapse, with the national currency losing value, poverty and unemployment rates soaring, and public services on the verge of total breakdown.

Experts warn that the ongoing political division and armed conflict are pushing the country toward an irreversible humanitarian and financial catastrophe unless immediate reforms are implemented.

They stress the urgent need for a national recovery plan focused on currency stabilization, fiscal unification, and social protection for the most vulnerable.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a stern warning to Yemen’s Houthi militia, declaring that Israel has not said its final word and that the group will pay a heavy price for its attacks.

Speaking at an officer graduation ceremony at the “Bahad 1” military base in southern Israel, Gallant stated:

“The Houthis will pay dearly for their attempts to strike Israel. We haven’t spoken our final word yet.”

The Houthis have ramped up attacks toward Israeli territory and ships in the Red Sea since the war in Gaza began. The group claims the operations are in support of Palestine, while Israel accuses them of acting under Iran’s regional agenda as part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance.”

Analysts say Gallant’s remarks signal the growing likelihood of a broader regional confrontation expanding across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

The Houthi militia in Yemen has reportedly forced several employees of the World Food Programme (WFP) detained in its custody to make coerced confessions under threat, accusing them of spying for Israel, according to security sources who spoke to Al-Mashhad Al-Yemeni.

The sources said the Houthi Intelligence Service compelled the detainees to admit to espionage charges amid growing fears for their safety — particularly for Ammar Nasser, WFP’s Head of Safety and Security in Yemen, who was personally accused of spying by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi in his latest speech.

The accusations came shortly after the WFP suspended most of its relief operations in Houthi-held areas due to large-scale violations and the diversion of aid supplies to Houthi fighters and affiliates.

Observers warn that this escalation could severely strain relations between the Houthis and international humanitarian organizations, worsening Yemen’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Some fear that the detained staff may face execution, recalling previous incidents in which Houthis executed civilians in Tihama over similar “espionage” charges following the assassination of their former political chief, Saleh al-Sammad.

In a new escalation, Houthi militants stormed a Salafi mosque in the Zuraja area of Al-Hadda District, Dhamar Province, detaining several clerics and closing the mosque, according to local sources. The move marks a clear breach of the 2015 “Coexistence and Brotherhood” agreement between the Houthis and Yemen’s Salafi movement.

Witnesses said Houthi forces raided the mosque during dawn prayers, confiscated its contents, and transferred the mosque’s caretakers to an undisclosed location.
This attack comes amid a broader campaign targeting Salafi centers and preachers, particularly those affiliated with scholar Mohammed al-Imam.

 Background of the Agreement

The 2015 “Coexistence and Brotherhood” pact was meant to ensure that Salafis would remain politically neutral in exchange for the freedom to run their mosques and schools without interference.
However, since 2018, the Houthis have shut down dozens of Salafi institutions in Sanaa, Saada, and Dhamar, and arrested many clerics under the pretext of “ideological deviation.”

A Pattern of Religious Persecution

Human rights groups report that since the Houthi coup in 2014, over 800 mosques have been destroyed, confiscated, or repurposed by the militia.
In 2024, they closed the Tablighi Jamaat Center in Hodeidah and detained dozens of its members, citing “violations of Houthi doctrine.”

Analysts view the latest attack as part of a wider sectarian purge aimed at consolidating ideological control and eliminating competing religious voices.

 Political and Sectarian Dimensions

According to Yemeni researcher Abdulkarim al-Shumeiri, “The Houthis see the Salafis as a long-term intellectual threat. Even if they remain apolitical, their Sunni doctrine fundamentally contradicts the Houthi ideology of divine leadership.”

Observers believe this assault sends a message of intimidation to other religious groups in Houthi-controlled areas:
“Submit to the group’s authority—or face suppression.”