United States rejects Houthi claims of blockade on Yemen

The United States embassy in Yemen pushed back against Houthi claims that a Saudi-led blockade is restricting access to the country, Al Jazeera reported. Khaled Wolfsberg, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Yemen, released an Arabic-language video on Tuesday evening stating that goods are still flowing into areas under Houthi control. [1]

Arab News reported that the United States accused the Houthis of using blockade claims to justify attacks on the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that the US embassy accused the Houthi rebels of besieging the city of Taiz. [1][2]

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, captured the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in September 2014, according to Al Jazeera. Iran-backed Houthis launched an offensive on September 3, 2026, against the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, prompting clashes in Taiz Governorate and counter-offensives in Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda governorates. [1][6]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Saudi-led forces launched air strikes around Taiz to break an ongoing Houthi siege that restricted civilian access to vital supplies, while government forces repelled Houthi attacks near the city's old airport and Jabal Han mountain. [9][10]