AGP Executive Report

Yemen Health Crisis: Doctors warn Yemen’s hospitals could collapse as renewed fighting brings hundreds of casualties daily, with staff, medicines, and supplies already stretched thin. Red Sea Security: Yemen’s government warns civil aviation is at serious risk after Houthis used Iranian-origin air-defense weapons modified in Yemen, including heat-seeking missiles that can stay airborne up to 25 minutes. Regional Spillover: Experts fear renewed fighting in Ethiopia could intersect with increased Houthi escalation, raising pressure across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor. AI Safety Debate: Anthropic’s threat report and related disclosures renew calls for tighter AI regulation after claims its tools were used in Houthi-controlled Yemen for missile guidance and cyber activity tied to multiple states. Gulf Defense Diplomacy: Pakistan signals it may defend Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthis under a new trilateral defense framework, though details on how it would apply to Yemen remain unclear. Environment & Water: Kuwait participates in an Arab environment ministers council session chaired by Yemen’s water and environment minister, focusing on climate financing, water-food links, and technology transfer.

Red Sea Security: Yemen’s government warned the UN that Houthis are using Iranian-origin, locally modified air-defense weapons that can stay airborne up to 25 minutes, posing a direct threat to international civil aviation over the southern Red Sea. Maritime Geopolitics: The Houthis’ takeover of parts of the Bab el-Mandeb area—including Mocha and nearby islands—could reshape shipping risk for Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea, with knock-on effects for regional conflicts. Yemen Frontlines: Reports say Yemen’s forces are preparing for a wider confrontation as battles intensify in Taiz and Lahj, alongside general mobilization measures and increased readiness. Regional Diplomacy: UAE-Saudi ties show signs of thaw after a Yemen-linked rift, with high-level meetings in Riyadh and discussions that could affect how Yemen’s conflict evolves. AI & Defense Tech: The US Air Force is reportedly looking to add a missile warning system to the F-15EX, highlighting how sensor upgrades are becoming central in modern air combat. Public Health: A Lancet Global Health study estimates chewing tobacco killed about 250,000 people in 2023 and use remains stubbornly high, especially in South Asia.

Red Sea Security: US Africa Command warns that reported contacts between Yemen’s Houthis and Somalia’s Al‑Shabab could deepen training, smuggling and coastal access—raising the risk of more attacks on Red Sea and western Indian Ocean shipping. Yemen Frontlines: Analysts say Houthis are expanding logistics and maritime pressure around Bab el‑Mandeb, while general mobilizations across Yemen suggest a longer push. AI & War Debate: Russia’s investment chief mocked Palantir CEO Alex Karp’s claim that AI should serve combatants, arguing AI should serve peace instead. AI for Builders: CoreWeave launched CoreWeave Forge to run the full AI loop for models and agents in one connected environment, aiming to reduce handoff losses across tools. Food Security: Egypt’s wheat output is forecast to hit a record 10 million tonnes, with imports projected to fall as farmers adopt raised-bed cultivation and certified seeds. UN Food Security: UNGA discussions framed food security as tied to stability, migration and global trade disruptions. Diplomacy Watch: UAE–Saudi ties show signs of thaw after Yemen-linked rifts, as regional talks continue alongside US–Iran mediation efforts. Yemen Tech Angle: Coverage also highlights “AI reshaping the Yemen battlefield,” linking conflict dynamics to emerging tech use.

Red Sea Security: The Houthis’ growing role in the Iran-backed war is reshaping Gulf security, with pressure on Saudi oil facilities and threats around Bab el-Mandeb. Maritime & Logistics: Yemen’s coast guard says Houthi control has expanded smuggling and logistics routes, potentially moving “dual-use” cargoes and communications gear across the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea. Regional Escalation Signals: Analysts warn the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is being stress-tested as Houthis reportedly threaten to restrict Saudi shipping through Bab el-Mandeb. Cyber & Aid Risks: Threat researchers say the pro-Houthi OilAlpha espionage group is active in 2026, using Android spyware and WhatsApp lures targeting humanitarian workers. Humanitarian & Health: UN figures warn Yemen’s conflict has displaced about 142,000 people and pushed the health system to the brink, with hospitals suspending emergency obstetric care. Public Health Watch: WHO reports cholera deaths rose 30% in 2025, with Yemen among the countries carrying most of the reported burden. Heritage & Training: UNESCO and DCT Abu Dhabi concluded a community-based inventorying workshop for intangible cultural heritage, supporting Yemen-relevant safeguarding approaches. Local Tech/Science Culture: Yemen’s Amanat al-Asimah highlights major service and development projects worth over 56 billion riyals for the 21 September anniversary. Education & Research Loss: Yemen’s internationally recognized government mourns Professor Ahmed Muhammad Al-Haddad, a community medicine academic at Sanaa University.

Red Sea & Yemen War Tech: Yemen’s Houthis are using missiles, drones, and alleged Iran-linked know-how to seize coastal ground near Bab el-Mandeb, raising fresh questions about modified cruise missiles and threats to civil aviation and Red Sea shipping. Iran Role Debate: Iran denies directing Houthi operations, while US reporting claims IRGC advisers supported planning, communications, and satellite-linked targeting. Regional Energy Routes: Gulf states are scrambling for alternative oil and gas export routes as Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb security risks disrupt trade and push up shipping costs. Cybersecurity in Yemen: FalconFeeds.io says pro-Houthi OilAlpha is active in 2026, using SpyMax Android spyware, live command servers, and a KSrelief-themed WhatsApp lure targeting aid workers and others. Humanitarian Pressure: UN warns Yemen’s health system is nearing collapse as fighting displaces about 142,000 people and cholera alerts rise. Security Spillover: US officials warn growing Houthi–Al-Shabaab cooperation could expand drone and explosives training, threatening Red Sea and Gulf of Aden stability. Local Tech/Development: Amanat al-Asimah highlights 1,474 service and development projects worth over 56 billion riyals for Sanaa’s 21 September anniversary. AI & Warfare Watch: Reports highlight AI being used in weapons development and targeting support, adding urgency to calls for guardrails.

Yemen Security & Aviation: Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani warned airlines about Houthi use of Iranian air-defense weapons converted into cruise missiles, urging ICAO and carriers to update risk plans for southern Red Sea flight paths. Red Sea Trade Risk: A security research group says Bab el-Mandeb risk is “high” after Houthis took more Red Sea coast areas, with Djibouti and Egypt most exposed and Ethiopia facing indirect pressure via the Djibouti corridor. Houthis & Humanitarian Impact: Reporting says Houthis have driven 130,000 people from homes since early September while pushing to control Mocha and pressure shipping through Bab el-Mandeb. Education Under Fire: Yemen’s Education ministry condemned repeated Saudi strikes on Al-Rawd School in Taiz, saying the attacks target students and educational infrastructure. Local Tech & Industry: Sana’a’s agricultural manufacturing pavilion showcased Yemeni-made machinery for mechanization and self-sufficiency during the “Al-Balad Al-Tayyib” festival. Conflict Tech in Yemen: Anthropic reported a Houthi-linked weapons engineering cell used its Claude AI model to support advanced weapons programs, highlighting AI’s growing role in warfare. Academic Attack: A university professor was killed and another injured in a gun attack on the Al-Abr road in Hadramout.

Education Under Fire: Yemen’s Education Ministry condemned Saudi airstrikes that hit Al-Rawd School in Taiz for a third straight time, saying the attacks aim to destroy the learning process and target students and teachers. Civilian Harm Claims: Yemen’s Human Rights Center also condemned strikes on Taiz Market and other civilian sites, calling them war crimes and violations of the Geneva Conventions. Aviation Safety Warning: Yemen’s Information Minister warned airlines and civil aviation authorities that Huthi forces are using converted Iranian air-defense weapons as cruise missiles, urging updated risk checks for southern Red Sea flight paths. Red Sea Security: Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted Huthi drones and ballistic missiles aimed at Saudi territory, as regional tensions tied to Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb keep shipping at risk. AI & Safety Debate: Global coverage highlighted renewed calls for AI guardrails after warnings that AI could be used for mass harm, alongside concerns about regulating lethal autonomous weapons. Education Funding Push: Education Above All (EAA) urged UN action to protect education in crises, citing a widening global financing gap and continued attacks on schools. Energy Shock Watch: Oil jumped after Trump rejected an Iran proposal on Hormuz, while yields climbed to multi-decade highs—signals that higher energy costs could ripple into Yemen’s wider economic pressures.

AI Safety & War Risks: Bill Gates warned AI could be abused to cause mass casualties, urging stronger government guardrails as AI moves deeper into warfare. Open-Source Tech Under Pressure: A report says Google Earth’s AI image generation experiment shows why “guardrails” matter when satellite-style tools become easier to manipulate. Yemen Human Rights: Yemen’s Human Rights Center condemned Saudi strikes on Taiz markets and civilian sites as violations of international humanitarian law. Education in Crisis: Education Above All (EAA) pushed at UNGA81 for protecting schooling during conflict and for closing a widening education funding gap. UN Migration Rights: UNGA talks stressed migrant workers need full human rights protections, not just security-focused treatment, with calls to stop trafficking and exploitation. Red Sea & Aviation Safety: Experts warn Iranian-backed Houthi tech in Yemen is raising risks for aviation safety across the Southern Red Sea. Taiz Frontline Logistics: ISW/CTP analysis says Houthis are trying to cut the Taiz–Aden ground line of communication, aiming to encircle Yemeni forces and shift the strategic balance.

UNESCO & Heritage Protection: Yemen’s UNESCO envoy warned that World Heritage sites remain endangered by war damage, while antiquities smuggling is growing into a “national problem” as economic hardship deepens. Aviation Safety in the Red Sea: Yemeni military officials say Iranian air-defense tech has been adapted by Houthis into roaming, heat-tracking cruise missiles targeting southern Red Sea air routes—raising risks for civilian and UN flights. AI & Lethal Weapons Guardrails: Reports from UN talks in Geneva say the US and Russia weakened a lethal autonomous weapons draft by removing reliability, ethics, and human-review safeguards. AI Risk Debate: Bill Gates renewed calls for stronger AI regulation, warning advanced systems could enable catastrophic mass harm. Climate Data Security: Germany’s climate computing center plans extra storage for Atlantic-spanning climate simulation backups ahead of the 2029 UN assessment. Education in Crisis: Education Above All highlighted a widening global education funding gap and the need to protect schooling during conflict at UNGA81. Regional Tech-Driven Security: A US Air Force contract update boosts long-endurance drone surveillance funding, signaling more ISR capacity as drone warfare evolves. Humanitarian Pressure at Bab al-Mandab: UNHCR says nearly 3,000 Yemenis reached Djibouti in under a week, facing shelter, water, and healthcare shortages.

US Air Force Drone Procurement: The U.S. Department of Defense more than doubled its contract with DZYNE Technologies (Ondas) for long-endurance tactical reconnaissance, boosting the total to about $85.6M and extending work to 2031—potentially positioning the ULTRA drone as a lower-cost complement to MQ-9 Reaper ISR. Red Sea & Yemen Governance: Taiz acting governor Ahmed Al-Masawi says restoring western-coast sovereignty is bringing emergency state services back, protecting civilian sites, and restarting fishing after years of disruption. Humanitarian Pressure at Bab al-Mandab: UNHCR reports nearly 3,000 Yemeni refugees reached Djibouti in under a week, with severe shelter, food, water, and healthcare gaps. Food & Research for Resilience: Yemen’s Grain Development Corporation issued a 2026 national guide cataloging local grain and legume varieties to support seed-based food security. AI Weapons Oversight: The U.S. and Russia reportedly removed key safeguards from a UN pact on lethal autonomous weapons, including human review of AI target selection and ethical language. Gulf Security Diplomacy: Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned at the UN that Iranian and Houthi attacks threaten energy security and global trade, urging freedom of navigation through Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. AI Safety Warning: Bill Gates says advanced AI could enable events causing up to a billion deaths, calling for federal safeguards.

Yemen Mobilisation: Yemen’s internationally recognised government called for a general mobilisation to push back against the Houthis, offering amnesty to defectors and aiming to restore state control over key areas including the Red Sea corridor. Red Sea Tech & Security: As Houthi advances reshape Bab al-Mandeb and Mocha’s port, the region’s shipping and communications infrastructure face growing disruption risk. AI Safety & War: Bill Gates warned AI could enable mass harm, while a UN push to regulate lethal autonomous weapons is reported to have been weakened by U.S.-Russia edits—raising alarms for how AI is governed in conflict. AI Infrastructure Under Fire: Big Tech’s Middle East data-center expansion is hitting a new hurdle as Iran-linked strikes reportedly disrupt facilities in the Gulf, forcing companies to treat physical conflict as a computing risk. AI Agents for Users: Personal AI agents like Meta’s Muse are expanding beyond chat into scheduled, app-controlling tasks—bringing convenience and new privacy concerns. Gulf Research Push: GCC states agreed to fund a joint science and innovation centre and strengthen research publishing to support a post-oil transition.

Red Sea Security: The Houthis’ push into Mocha, Mayyun Island, and nearby archipelagos is giving them a stronger platform to threaten global shipping through Bab al-Mandeb, raising risks for Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea. AI Safety & Warfare: A new wave of concern follows claims that Anthropic’s Claude was used in Houthi-controlled Yemen for missile guidance and related cyber activity, reigniting calls for AI guardrails and shutdown capabilities. Yemen State Strategy: Yemen’s UNGA message from the Presidential Leadership Council urges the world to stop arming the Houthis and shift from “crisis management” to real partnership that strengthens Yemen’s ports and state capacity. Gulf Defense Coordination: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye held an urgent Makkah Alliance military meeting in Riyadh as missile and drone threats tied to Yemen’s Houthis intensify. UN Diplomacy: Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif told the UN that war is a choice but peace is better, while Mauritania reiterated commitment to international law and UN reform. Tech Research Push in the Gulf: GCC states agreed to fund a joint research and innovation center and boost scientific publishing as they plan for a post-oil economy.

Yemen & Red Sea Security: A new report says US airstrikes in Yemen killed at least 213 civilians and injured 363 more between Dec 2023 and May 2025, with strikes hitting homes, hospitals, water infrastructure and ports—while victims received little compensation or acknowledgment. AI & Safety: A growing debate over “weaponized AI” highlights attempts to use AI to support harmful biological research, alongside broader calls for guardrails as AI risks move from theory to real-world misuse. Space & Earth Monitoring: Planet Labs’ Pelican-12 satellite has arrived at Cape Canaveral for an upcoming SpaceX rideshare, aiming for sharper 30 cm-class imagery and faster data relay via improved communications. Regional Diplomacy: Iran says it has proposed a seven-day roadmap to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks, while markets react cautiously as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue. Local Science & Health: Al-Razi University in Sana’a hosted a World Pharmacists Day ceremony and exhibition, spotlighting pharmacists’ role in medication accuracy and patient safety.

Yemen Security & Red Sea: Saudi air defenses intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, as Riyadh warns the threat is expanding beyond Yemen and urges international cooperation to protect Red Sea shipping. Houthi Consolidation in Yemen: After recent gains in southwest Yemen, Houthis are reinforcing front lines with tunneling and defensive positions while setting up municipal administration, taxes, and local policing. AI & Warfare Risks: A US senator says foreign actors, including Yemen-based weapons cells, have used US-developed AI (like Claude) to develop missile guidance software—pushing calls for mandatory safeguards and reporting. Food & Research in Yemen: Yemen’s grain authority highlights “genetic treasures” by registering 300+ local crop varieties, framing them as a strategic reserve for food security. Education & Leadership (Region, incl. Yemen): UAE’s Zayed Education Foundation selected 50 Ruwwad Zayed scholars, with Yemen among participating countries and fields including AI, data science, and public policy. Markets & Oil Shock: Middle East escalation lifted oil and yields, feeding inflation fears and pressuring equities, including tech-linked moves tied to AI optimism.

Yemen Humanitarian Crisis: Intensified fighting has pushed thousands of Yemenis to flee by sea to Djibouti, where aid agencies say arrivals are “more than overwhelmed,” with UN figures citing over 120,000 displaced along Yemen’s coast in recent weeks. Red Sea Security: The Houthis’ actions are reshaping Red Sea dynamics, with Saudi-led coalition forces reporting interceptions of Iran-backed Houthi ballistic missiles and Saudi civil defence issuing alerts across multiple regions, including near major cities. Tech & AI for Services: Shield Technology Partners launched Forge, an AI operating system aimed at IT service providers, claiming faster helpdesk resolutions and reduced need for human approval. Youth Innovation in the Region: Qatar Foundation’s QIYADA conference (Sept 25–26) will bring together scholars and youth, including Yemeni influencer Fedaa Al-Deen Yahya, to support idea creation and leadership. Climate Mobility Research: A seminar at Boston University highlighted new research on how climate disasters drive displacement across Eastern Africa, using thousands of surveys from displaced communities, including in Yemen-linked migration routes.

Yemen Update: Yemen’s internationally recognized government is pushing a two-pronged push to reverse Houthi gains, with reports of pro-government forces seizing Mount Qarafan in Taiz and capturing Mount Zalat near Kahboub, as battles intensify around high ground overlooking Bab al-Mandeb. Standards & Industry: Yemen’s Standards Authority carried out inspection visits in Hajjah to cement, block, water, and ice-mold factories, checking production steps, measuring tools, and lab samples to ensure compliance with national specifications. Humanitarian Tech Link: UN warnings highlight a growing Djibouti refugee crisis as Yemeni families flee Houthi offensives near Bab al-Mandeb, a chokepoint tied to global shipping and regional stability. Global Security Tech: Analysis warns the Houthis’ Red Sea campaign shows how low-cost tech and naval disruption can reshape trade routes, with implications for East Africa and maritime security. Sports & Youth: Sana’a hosted the fifth university swimming championship, drawing 105 students from 23 institutions as part of September 21 celebrations.