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Houthi Mine in Red Sea Kills 3 Egyptian Fishermen

A drone boat captured from Yemen's Houthi rebels that was once loaded with explosives. The rebels have used such boats and mines against shipping in the Red Sea. AP
A drone boat captured from Yemen's Houthi rebels that was once loaded with explosives. The rebels have used such boats and mines against shipping in the Red Sea. AP
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Houthi Mine in Red Sea Kills 3 Egyptian Fishermen

A drone boat captured from Yemen's Houthi rebels that was once loaded with explosives. The rebels have used such boats and mines against shipping in the Red Sea. AP
A drone boat captured from Yemen's Houthi rebels that was once loaded with explosives. The rebels have used such boats and mines against shipping in the Red Sea. AP

Three Egyptian fishermen were killed and others survived when a mine laid by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck their boat in the Red Sea.

A high-ranking official from the Yemeni Armed Forces uncovered that search and investigation operations found that the militias planted more than 300 mines in the Red Sea waters.

Yemeni Army spokesman Brigadier General Abdo Majli told Asharq Al-Awsat Thursday that Iranian-backed Houthis have deliberately planned to threaten maritime navigation and international trade in the regional waters.

He said those militias took advantage of the ceasefire in the past years to plant more than a million mine in areas under their control.

“Those mines are planted without the presence of any maps and are often moved by winds to other locations,” he said.

Majli’s comments coincided with a statement issued by the Arab Coalition on Thursday saying that Houthis continue to sporadically plant sea mines to obstruct navigation and international trade in the southern Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb, adding that a mine allegedly planted by the Iran-backed militia has been detected in the Red Sea.

The Saudi-led Coalition said: “At 2 am on Thursday, Coalition Naval forces responded to a communication reporting the sinking of a fishing boat in International Waters in the Red Sea as a result of a naval mine explosion.”

It added that six Egyptian fishermen were on board. “We could rescue three of them and the others were killed when the mine exploded.”

The Coalition said the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ continued planting of naval mines is a serious threat to maritime navigation and international trade in the south of the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The coalition had found and neutralized 137 mines planted by the Houthis and also intercepted "drone boats" packed with explosives that the rebels have used to target naval vessels and shipping.

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Arab World

Yemeni Tribal Affairs Chief to Houthis: ‘Your Time Is Near’

Sheikh Bakil Naji al-Soufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Authority at Yemen’s Interior Ministry. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Bakil Naji al-Soufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Authority at Yemen’s Interior Ministry. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Yemeni Tribal Affairs Chief to Houthis: ‘Your Time Is Near’

Sheikh Bakil Naji al-Soufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Authority at Yemen’s Interior Ministry. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheikh Bakil Naji al-Soufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Authority at Yemen’s Interior Ministry. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Sheikh Bakil Naji al-Soufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Authority at Yemen’s Interior Ministry, has warned the Houthis that “your time is near, and you will leave Yemen because of your actions.”

Al-Soufi believes mounting anger in Houthi-controlled areas has moved beyond frustration over economic and living conditions and is nearing a point of action, with tribes awaiting “zero hour” and what he described as a “glimmer of hope” or support from the Yemeni government.

In a new episode of the Asharq Al-Awsat Podcast, recorded in the newspaper’s Riyadh newsroom, al-Soufi discussed the tribal practice of “nakaf,” the Al-Rayyan tribal encampments in Al-Jawf province and relations between the tribes and the Houthis. He also recalled his experience mediating with Houthi leaders more than a decade ago and outlined his view of the future confrontation, pointing to expected military “surprises.”

In the interview, filmed Aug. 20, 2026, al-Soufi described “nakaf” as a tradition under which tribes gather at encampments known as “matarah” when faced with a grievance or a situation requiring mobilization. He said developments in Al-Jawf reflected what tribes had experienced from Houthi conduct and attempts to subjugate and humiliate them.

Al-Soufi explained that tribes had historically been “an integral part of the state” and its supporting “backbone.” Where official institutions are absent, tribal customs and ties play a role in maintaining security and stability.

Deceptive slogans

Al-Soufi noted that the Houthis initially succeeded in appealing to public sentiment when they entered Sanaa by invoking poverty, high prices and corruption. The tribes later discovered, he argued, that those slogans were a means of reaching power.

He accused the group of imposing levies and taxes on various activities and using talk of a “blockade” to justify deteriorating living conditions.

The more significant shift, in his view, is occurring inside Houthi-controlled areas themselves. He stressed that tribes were not merely waiting to join the encampments but that there was broader readiness to move against the Houthis.

“People are only waiting for zero hour,” he stated, adding that he is personally in contact with figures inside Houthi-held areas whose names he declined to disclose. He described the situation as being “on the rim of a volcano.”

Al-Soufi recalled heading a mediation committee between the Houthis and Salafists in Kitaf in 2011 and 2012, when he dealt with Mahdi al-Mashat and met Abu Ali al-Hakim, Youssef al-Fishi and Saleh al-Sammad.

He said that experience led him at the time to conclude that the group was implementing an Iranian project. He described Abu Ali al-Hakim as one of the most important Houthi figures he had encountered because of the security and military portfolios he oversaw.

Failed negotiations

Al-Soufi recounted that years of negotiations had failed to demonstrate an ability to end the crisis. He argued that the Houthis maneuver when under pressure and were more willing to make concessions when in a weaker position.

On the delay in reaching a military resolution, he said the government acts as a state with domestic and international obligations and must weigh the economic and military consequences before and after any battle, unlike armed groups.

The Yemeni official concluded by saying that “strong preparations” were underway and that Yemenis would soon hear of “surprises.”

Asked whether those surprises would be “in the air or on the ground,” he replied briefly: “In the air and on the ground.”

Arab World

Disarmament Stalemate Casts Shadow Over Iraqi Government, Coordination Framework

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Reuters)
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Reuters)
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Disarmament Stalemate Casts Shadow Over Iraqi Government, Coordination Framework

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Reuters)
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi (Reuters)

Iraq’s ruling coalition has been forced to abandon plans to create deputy prime minister posts amid disputes over bringing weapons under state control, while sources say political factions are moving to recalculate their shares of the remaining vacant ministries.

Since parliament has approved Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government on May 15, 2026, giving the green light to 14 out of 23 ministers, political disputes have prevented appointments to nine portfolios, most notably the interior and defense ministries.

A more complicated dispute involved attempts by forces within the Coordination Framework to create four deputy prime minister posts. Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq was among the leading proponents, with its leader, Qais al-Khazali, putting forward his brother Laith al-Khazali for one of the positions.

Reliable sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq had sought the post after formally agreeing to the plan to bring weapons under state control, but US objections blocked the appointment.

The sources described a “test of strength” between al-Zaidi and Coordination Framework forces because of the overlap between completing the Cabinet and the weapons issue. Scrapping the deputy prime minister posts, they said, opens the door to bargaining and forces all sides to recalculate the points assigned to ministries.

Observers believe efforts to complete the Cabinet began to falter as some political forces backed away from the weapons plan.

Al-Zaidi had made bringing arms under state control a key pillar of his government program. Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and other factions later joined the proposed settlement in hopes of easing international pressure.

Sources said the Coordination Framework’s latest meeting exposed sharp divisions between leaders opposed to creating deputy PM posts and others insisting on them, preventing the coalition from issuing a statement afterward.

Al-Zaidi has held a series of meetings with Coordination Framework leaders in recent days in an effort to reach agreement on completing his Cabinet, particularly after his government marked its first 100 days.

Figures close to the prime minister’s office said he urged ruling coalition leaders to continue supporting the government in resolving outstanding issues, including bringing weapons under state control, combating corruption and filling Cabinet vacancies, regardless of disputes over deputy prime minister posts.

Under Iraq’s informal power-sharing system, ministries are distributed among election-winning political forces according to points based on each party’s number of parliamentary seats.

Legal and legislative affairs researcher Saif al-Saadi told Asharq Al-Awsat that scrapping the deputy PM posts would increase the value of the remaining portfolios, with sovereign ministries potentially worth 15 to 20 points and service ministries 10 to 12.

Al-Saadi expected two or three ministries to be filled, while the rest could remain under acting ministers because of domestic and external factors. He said the United States opposes militia-linked figures taking senior government posts, while competition among Shiite political forces is delaying agreement on candidates for the vacant portfolios.

Arab World

Washington Supports Deeper Security, Economic Cooperation with Algeria

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
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Washington Supports Deeper Security, Economic Cooperation with Algeria

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Photo: The Presidency)

Senior Adviser to the US President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos has stressed that Washington “supports deeper security cooperation” with Algeria.

In a statement published by the US embassy in Algiers on its Facebook page, Boulos said he held a “productive call” with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “to discuss the US-Algeria partnership.”

“The United States supports deeper security cooperation and expanding economic opportunities for US companies in Algeria, with our growing energy partnership paving the way for shared prosperity,” said Boulos.

He said he also expressed his condolences to the communities affected by Algeria’s recent wildfires.

Boulos held a productive meeting last April with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, aimed at deepening the trade and security partnership between the two countries.

They welcomed the progress achieved in discussions concerning Algeria’s unconventional gas resources and reviewed opportunities for American companies to support the country’s critical minerals sector.

The two parties also discussed ways to expand cooperation in counterterrorism and military collaboration as part of their shared goal of strengthening regional security. In addition, they addressed regional issues of mutual interest, particularly various conflicts and humanitarian crises.