Yemen war enters dangerous new phase
The Saudi-led coalition has embarked on a high-risk strategy to force the Houthis to the negotiating table
Since the start of the Yemen conflict in 2015 it has been called a war that neither side can win. Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE and other allies, control the skies and outstrip the Houthis in terms of military might in general. But hundreds of aerial attacks have failed to dislodge the rebels either from the capital, Sanaa, or the Red Sea Port of Hodeidah. Western diplomats in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have spent months trying to dissuade the Arab allies from attacking Hodeidah. In part, this is because the port is the entry point for nearly three-quarters of all the humanitarian aid sent to Yemen. The UN's emergency relief coordinator, Mark Lowcock, said at a press briefing this week that
Also in this section
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment
19 February 2026
Growth in LNG supply will surpass the rise in demand in 2026 for the first time in years, according to Mike Fulwood, senior research fellow at the OIES, but lower prices are likely to encourage fuel switching and could create more demand on a permanent basis
19 February 2026
Awais Ali Butt, manager for sales and business development at Pakistan LNG Ltd, discusses LNG’s role in energy security across developing, price-sensitive economies, as well as examining trade-offs between buying strategies and the impact of lower prices and policy on import behaviour
19 February 2026
LNG’s technical maturity, availability and price, as well as regulation, have driven its rapid adoption as a marine fuel, yet its future in shipping will depend on transition policies and progress in cutting methane emissions and scaling bio- and synthetic LNG, according to Carlos Guerrero at Bureau Veritas
