Iran-backed Houthis on brink of taking Taiz in massive blow to Saudi Arabia | war latest news

The Iran-backed Houthis have encircled Yemen’s Taiz and are on the cusp of taking the strategic city for the first time in the war in what would be a major blow to Saudi Arabia. On part two of today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen, a Yemeni senior researcher from the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, about why the Houthis are so desperate to capture Taiz as a stepping-stone to oil-rich Marib and port city Aden and how it could take just “days” to fall. With around a million people trapped inside and news of food and medicine shortages, a humanitarian disaster is looming and Iran’s proxy group is on the brink of a major victory. Do Saudi Arabia or even the UAE have the capacity to stop Yemen sliding permanently into Tehran's sphere of control? 00:00:00 - Houthi Siege of Taiz: Military Frontline Update & Humanitarian Crisis 00:01:40 - Inside Taiz: Starlink Communications, Food Shortages & Street Warfare Risks 00:04:35 - Why the Houthis Want Taiz: Strategic Gateway to Aden & Oil-Rich Marib 00:08:00 - Is Taiz About to Fall? Army Disparity & Timeline Predictions 00:09:34 - Civilian Concerns: Food Insecurity & Humanitarian Toll Under Houthi Siege 00:11:18 - Symbolic Impact: The Psychological Blow to Yemen's Government 00:12:49 - Government Military Fragility: Lost Weapons & Inherited State Infrastructure 00:14:18 - Saudi Arabia’s Airstrikes & The Limits of Air Support in Yemen 00:15:11 - Saudi-UAE Rift: Differing Agendas, Separatists & The Muslim Brotherhood 00:18:17 - Will the UAE Re-Enter the Yemen War? Conditions & Regional Security CONTRIBUTORS: Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey Maysaa Shuja Al-Deen from the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies @maysaashujaa CONTENT REFERENCED: Houthis on brink of taking their biggest scalp https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-new... Con Coughlin: The Houthis are Europe’s problem https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026... Winner Best News and Analysis Podcast - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 Bronze Best News, Politics and Current Affairs - British Podcast Awards 2026 Nominated Podcast of the Year - Society of Editors News Podcasts Awards 2026 Nominated Podcast of the Year - London Press Club Awards 2026 The Telegraph, Winner Podcast Publisher of the Year 2026 - Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 Producers: Peter Shevlin and Max Bower Researcher and Social Producer: Anna Hindmarsh Studio Operator: Andy Watson Executive Producer: Venetia Rainey ► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor ► EMAIL US: Contact the team on battlelines@telegraph.co.uk ► GET THE LATEST HEADLINES: Find all our latest Iran coverage here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/iran-war/ #Yemen #Taiz #Houthis #IranTheLatest #MiddleEast