Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi-led, pro-government forces clashed on July 4 in the Hays district, south of al-Hudaydah, resulting in the deaths of 16 government forces and at least 50 militants in one of the most violent clashes since the Yemeni civil war essentially froze in 2022, Al Jazeera reported the next day. On July 5, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said "armed unknown assailants" attacked a cargo ship off the coast of al-Hudaydah, though the incident did not result in any casualties; thus far, no group has claimed responsibility.

The clashes came a day after the Houthis threatened to target Saudi airports and vital assets after an alleged Saudi violation of Yemeni airspace. Although sporadic fighting has occurred in Yemen, the conflict lines have largely remained frozen since the 2022 ceasefire. The Houthis have increased recruitment numbers after the group began to attack Israeli territory and commercial maritime shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza in late 2023. However, the Houthis have largely remained on the sidelines of the 2026 Iran conflict.