Yemen and the region

Yemeni minister reports calls to close Houthi offices; Bab al-Mandab plan unverified

Minister of State Ahmed al-Saleh said the government had asked countries to close Houthi offices and stop hosting their representatives, without naming the countries or disclosing their replies. Sheba Intelligence published a report on an alleged military plan near Bab al-Mandab, whose readiness and implementation date remain unverified.

Updated: Monday 26 October 2026, 01:43 Amsterdam time Monitoring window: last 1.1 h 2026-10-25 23:37Z → 00:43Z UTC Last search: 2026-10-26 00:49Z

Summary

AttributedAhmed al-Saleh: the government sent letters asking countries to close Houthi offices; the report names no countries and gives no responses.
UnverifiedSheba Intelligence cites unnamed sources alleging an IRGC plan near Bab al-Mandab; its implementation has not been independently verified.
UnverifiedThe material read provides no evidence of a new closure of the strait. Republished airstrike and airport stories were not counted as additional events.

Developments in this window

01:14
AttributedYemen and the region
Minister of State says government asked countries to close Houthi offices
Yemen Monitor quoted Minister of State Ahmed al-Saleh as saying in a television interview on Sunday that the government had formally asked countries hosting Houthi representatives to close their offices and stop facilitating their activities. He did not name the countries or disclose their responses. He accused regional states of supporting the group and arms smuggling without providing independent evidence. This remains the account of an official on one side of the conflict, not an announcement that offices have actually closed.
Source: yemenmonitor.com
00:38
UnverifiedBab al-Mandab and the west coast
Unverified report alleges Iranian military plan near Bab al-Mandab
Sheba Intelligence published a report citing unnamed intelligence sources who allege that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have drawn up a plan for Houthi operations threatening areas near Bab al-Mandab and shipping. Tihama 24 carried the report, but repetition of the same source is not independent corroboration. Sheba said it had not independently verified the operation’s timetable, the readiness of preparations or any link between alleged naval mine preparations and the plan. The report does not establish that a new attack has occurred or that the strait has closed.
Source: Sheba Intelligence tihama24.com

What to watch

Responses to government requests
Watch for the countries to be named, their responses to be published and actual decisions to be announced, rather than treating a request as a completed closure.
Verifying the shipping threat
Watch for official maritime warnings or independent evidence of a new incident. The intelligence report alone does not establish that the strait is disrupted.
Supplies reaching Taiz
Watch for documented statements on fuel, water and medicines entering the city and services continuing, rather than treating republished figures as a new tally.

Earlier context

The English-language report of 56 airstrikes and missile strikes over 24 hours repeats the Houthi spokesman’s account published in our earlier coverage on Sunday. It does not mean that 56 additional strikes occurred within the current monitoring window.alkhabaralyemeni.net · 2026-10-25

Unproven or recycled claims

The story alleging the deaths of Abdolreza Shahlai and four experts says in its body that the strike occurred around ten days earlier, without independent confirmation or an identified attacker. It was not listed as a confirmed death or a new event within this window.mwlana.com
Saba’s story about two missiles near displacement camps in Salah al-Din, Aden, carries an article date of October 25 at 10:19, despite appearing recently in the feed. It was excluded from new items because the source timestamp differs from the indexing time.sabanew.net
The page carrying footage of government troops advancing east of Sanaa is dated October 16. Its reappearance in the feed does not establish a new battlefield advance.al-marsd.com

Yemeni minister reports calls to close Houthi offices; Bab al-Mandab plan unverified

Summary

Developments in this window

Minister of State says government asked countries to close Houthi offices

Unverified report alleges Iranian military plan near Bab al-Mandab