Saudi Arabia has categorically rejected a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) claiming that Yemen's Houthis demanded $51 billion in compensation and official recognition of their authority over Yemen to end hostilities with the kingdom.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Rayed Krimly dismissed the claims as "pure fabrication by the writers or their alleged sources" in a post on X. Krimly stated that the militias turned against the Yemeni government, caused famine among the Yemeni people, and dragged the country into conflicts and agendas that did not serve its interests. He further accused the group of attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, and rejecting peace initiatives, while reminding the writers that Yemen already has an internationally recognised government.
The WSJ report, which cited people briefed on the discussions, claimed that Riyadh had approached the Houthis "to see what it would take to arrive at a negotiated halt to the hostilities." According to the newspaper, the group responded by demanding $51 billion as compensation for years of Saudi military strikes and a prolonged blockade. The report also alleged that the Houthis sought formal Saudi recognition as the rulers of Yemen, a condition that would require Riyadh to accept the Iran-backed group as the governing power. The WSJ noted that other figures had also come up during the discussions.
These reports come amid renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which are linked to the wider Middle East conflict that erupted on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate across the region.
The situation in Yemen escalated in July when the Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in defiance of Saudi control of Yemeni airspace. The Yemeni government retaliated by striking the airport, leading to exchanges that unraveled a 2022 truce in the civil war that began in September 2014. Since then, the Houthis have declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and have been attacking tankers in the Red Sea as well as Saudi territory.
