Saudi Arabia denies Houthis demanded $51bn to end hostilities

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has rejected a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) claiming that Yemen’s Houthi rebels demanded $51 billion from the kingdom in return for a negotiated end to hostilities between the two sides.

Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Rayed Krimly dismissed the report as fabricated, saying the claims about demands made by the Houthis were entirely baseless.

“I categorically deny the claims published by The Wall Street Journal regarding demands made by this militia. All of this is pure fabrication by the writers or their alleged sources,” Krimly said in a post on X.

I categorically deny the claims published by The Wall Street Journal regarding demands made by this militia. All of this is pure fabrication by the writers or their alleged sources. These militias turned against the Yemeni government, caused famine among the Yemeni people, and dragged Yemen into conflicts and agendas that do not serve Yemen and its people. They attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea waterways, civilian and economic targets, and rejected all peace efforts. We also remind the writers that Yemen has a recognized government.

— AMB Dr. Rayed Krimly (@Rayedkrimly) November 5, 2026

He accused the Houthis of turning against Yemen’s government, causing famine and dragging the country into conflicts and agendas that did not serve its people.

Krimly also accused the group of attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, as well as civilian and economic targets, and rejecting peace efforts.

“We also remind the writers that Yemen has a recognised government,” he added.

What the WSJ report claimed

The report, citing people briefed on discussions between the two sides, said Saudi Arabia had approached the Houthis to explore the possibility of a negotiated halt to hostilities following attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

According to the newspaper, the Houthis demanded $51 billion to cover the cost of years of Saudi airstrikes and a prolonged blockade. Sources said other figures were later discussed, but the group’s position remained that any settlement would involve payments in the tens of billions of dollars.

The report also claimed that the Houthis wanted Saudi Arabia to formally recognise them as Yemen’s rulers, effectively accepting the Iran-backed group as a governing authority on its southern border.

Renewed fighting in Yemen

The latest escalation followed the outbreak of a wider Middle East war on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the region.

Hostilities in Yemen resumed in July after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in defiance of Saudi control of Yemeni airspace.

The Yemeni government subsequently struck the airport, triggering further exchanges that unravelled a 2022 truce in the country’s long-running civil war.

Since then, the Houthis have declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and carried out attacks on Saudi territory and oil tankers in the Red Sea, the report said.