{
  "id": 8891667,
  "title": "Yemen's Houthis are upending the Gulf order. The Saudis are the biggest losers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/yemens-houthis-are-upending-the-gulf-order-the-saudis-are-the-biggest",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T09:36:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/yemens-houthis-are-upending-gulf-order-saudis-are-biggest-losers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yemen's Houthi rebels are reshaping the Gulf order, leaving Saudi Arabia as the biggest loser. The conflict has reached a critical phase, with the Iran-aligned group calling the shots while the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is left out in the cold. Houthi supporters displayed portraits of their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, in a protest denouncing Saudi aggression against Yemen. A ballistic missile strike targeted a fuel depot near Riyadh's international airport, causing air raid sirens to wail across Saudi cities like Jeddah, Taif, and Yanbu. The Houthi strikes demonstrated how vulnerable the Gulf kingdom is to the Yemeni group's recent wave of attacks on the country. Despite receiving a deal from the group to uphold a 2025 ceasefire with the US, the US President, Donald Trump, refused to provide support to his friend Mohammed bin Salman. The $600 billion investment Trump promised to the Saudi crown prince has provided little protection from the world's military superpower. Instead of intervening, Trump made a deal with the Houthi rebels, ensuring that the Red Sea remains open to global shipping, except for Saudi vessels. Saudi Arabia's main route for energy and shipping through the Red Sea is now threatened by Iran's allies, causing oil and diesel prices to spike. Britain's new prime minister has agreed to send military advisers to Saudi Arabia, increasing the possibility of the UK being drawn back into the Saudi war on Yemen.",
  "summary": "Yemen's Houthis are upending the Gulf order. The Saudis are the biggest losers Submitted by Joe Gill on Fri, 09/18/2026 - 20:05 The war has entered a critical phase, with the Iran-aligned group calling the shots, as Trump leaves Mohammed bin Salman out in the cold Houthi supporters carry a portrait of the leader of the group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, in a protest denouncing Saudi Arabia’s…",
  "key_points": [
    "Yemen's Houthi rebels reshape Gulf order, Saudi Arabia suffers biggest loss.",
    "Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, left out in cold as conflict escalates.",
    "US President Donald Trump fails to support Saudi Arabia, Houthi deal opens Red Sea."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/8891667.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "FXStreet",
        "title": "US President Donald Trump says was ready to strike Houthis in Yemen, then pulled back",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/us-president-donald-trump-says-was-ready-to-strike-houthis-in-yemen",
        "published": "2026-09-21T05:08:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Axios: Trump and Zelensky agree to meet in New York as U.S. president again asks Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/axios-trump-and-zelensky-agree-to-meet-in-new-york-as-u-s-president",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:15:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Houthis mark 2014 Yemen revolution as Saudi strike back",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/houthis-mark-2014-yemen-revolution-as-saudi-strike-back",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:32:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Targets approved, bombs loaded & then Trump blinked: Why US pulled back from Houthi strikes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/targets-approved-bombs-loaded-then-trump-blinked-why-us-pulled-back",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:45:59.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "No, yes, then no again: Trump's flip-flop on striking Houthis despite loaded bombs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/no-yes-then-no-again-trumps-flip-flop-on-striking-houthis-despite",
        "published": "2026-09-21T08:06:23.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}