US-Iran Situation Report — 2026-09-15 01:13 UTC

TAIZ, Yemen — Yemeni government forces have advanced in western Taiz after successfully repelling a Houthi offensive, marking a significant shift in the country's more than 10-year civil war that has become increasingly intertwined with the broader Iran-US conflict.

Armed forces affiliated with Yemen's internationally recognised government have retaken positions from the Houthis and are advancing in the southwestern Taiz province, according to reporting from Al Jazeera Arabic's Yasser Hassan. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/yemen-govt-forces-advance-in-taiz-as-houthis-claim-attack-on-saudi-arabia) [Tasnim News Agency](https://www.tasnimnews.com/) [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7zvxe1jm7o) Air strikes supporting the advance have targeted Houthi gatherings on the west coast in Mocha, Dhubab, and surrounding areas.

In a statement on Monday, the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said they launched attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/yemen-govt-forces-advance-in-taiz-as-houthis-claim-attack-on-saudi-arabia) The group said the attacks targeted military facilities and infrastructure at King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia. These attacks were described as a response to a Saudi offensive involving more than 300 air strikes across Yemen over five days.

The fighting has spilled into the Red Sea region, with Houthi forces capturing parts of the country's Red Sea coast and fortifying control over the Bab al-Mandeb strait. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/yemen-govt-forces-advance-in-taiz-as-houthis-claim-attack-on-saudi-arabia) This key waterway normally handles about 12 percent of global trade, including 11 percent of maritime oil and 8 percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The waterway has been an economic lifeline for Saudi Arabia and its oil exports.

Diplomatic efforts to manage the crisis have stalled. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced that a planned meeting with Gulf state officials to discuss the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed due to "events unfolding in Yemen". [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/strait-of-hormuz-talks-postponed-due-to-yemen-events-says-iran) [Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://www.mfa.gov.ir/) Baghaei said Oman and Iran had taken a joint decision aimed at arriving at a responsible approach to the management of the strait. He added that Saudi Arabia requested the postponement of the meeting.

Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its forces had intercepted and destroyed an advanced MQ-1 drone over the Strait of Hormuz using a new aerospace defence system. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/strait-of-hormuz-talks-postponed-due-to-yemen-events-says-iran) [IRGC Official Website](https://www.sepah.ir/) The IRGC statement was carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

On the other side of the conflict, a US Air Force pilot was shot down over Iran in April. [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7zvxe1jm7o) The pilot, identified as Bravo, described free-falling to the ground with a damaged parachute and breaking his back, shoulder, and arm. The $30 million F-15E jet was destroyed by a shoulder-fired missile.

Bravo's account was first reported by CBS News's 60 Minutes programme. [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7zvxe1jm7o) [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes/) Despite his injuries, he survived after climbing to safety. The rescue operation involved intense combat, with over 90 US service members on the ground inside Iran, marking the first time in 46 years that American forces operated inside the country.

The war has become increasingly unpopular among the US public as it heads into campaigning season ahead of the congressional midterm elections in November. [BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7zvxe1jm7o) US President Donald Trump predicted that the war would continue until at least election day on 3 November.

Humanitarian impact remains severe. Nearly 86,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Yemen over the past few weeks. [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/yemen-govt-forces-advance-in-taiz-as-houthis-claim-attack-on-saudi-arabia) [IOM](https://www.iom.int/) Some of those displaced have fled Yemen altogether, with more than 2,000 people reaching neighbouring Djibouti.

Global oil prices gained more than 2 percent as the news increased concerns over energy markets. [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/) [AP News](https://apnews.com/hub/iran) Repairs to a crucial Saudi oil pipeline, struck in an attack last week, could last three to five weeks, regional officials told the Associated Press, putting the route all but out of service.