The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Tuesday 27 October 2026 that it intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles and drones launched by the Houthis towards two regions of Saudi Arabia. The coalition said the Houthis launched three ballistic missiles towards the Eastern Region and four drones towards the Southern Region. Saudi Civil Defense issued early-warning alerts for a potential hostile threat in the Eastern Region and in Kharj governorate, later saying the danger had passed in both areas. No casualties were reported in the coalition account summarised on 27 October.

A shattered truce

The renewed fighting has shattered a 2022 UN-brokered truce that had largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, and the Houthis, who control Sanaa. Saudi Arabia has intensified strikes on the Houthis since the group captured strategic areas along Yemen's Red Sea coast last month, advancing towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route for Gulf oil.

The wider shipping risk

October 2026 was the worst month for attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and nearby waterways since tracking began in 2017, according to a Washington-based think tank cited by Reuters. The Strait of Hormuz carried around a fifth of the world's energy supplies before the conflict erupted in February 2026.

Sources: coalition statements as reported, 27 October 2026; The Business Standard.