Houthi-held areas see mass rallies backing Iran, warning Saudi Arabia

China

Houthi-held areas see mass rallies backing Iran, warning Saudi Arabia

2026-07-11 15:30 Last Updated At：16:07

Amid rising regional tensions, large rallies broke out on Friday in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, and across more than 14 Houthi-controlled provinces, with crowds voicing support for Iran in the event of any escalation with Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi military group said that the demonstrations were held in solidarity with Iran and in condemnation of the U.S. strikes against it. The group warned that ongoing developments in the Middle East could have broader implications for regional security and stability.

Demonstrators chanted slogans in support of Tehran as tensions continued to mount, with growing fears that the friction could threaten security in the Red Sea and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

"We believe there should be a strong and well-calculated response against the United States and Israel. We also believe it is necessary to maintain the unity of the fronts and for the other fronts to take part in this confrontation, so that we can teach the United States a lesson. Otherwise, it will continue with this policy," said Zaid Al-Gharsi, Head of Media Department under the Office of the Presidency in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

The rallies conveyed messages beyond political support.

They also backed the group's latest military statement, which warned Saudi Arabia against any actions that would constitute violations of Yemeni airspace.

The statement threatened to target airports, ports and other critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia if such incidents were to recur. It also underscored the group's escalating rhetoric and links developments in Yemen to broader regional tensions. "The red lines that could push Sanaa from warnings to military action are any military responses by the Saudi government, or any attempts again to block or prevent Iranian aircraft from landing at the Sanaa International Airport. These are the red lines. If Saudi Arabia takes such actions, it will face a strong response, and I believe it could lead to a full-scale war," Abdullah Al-Nuaimi, a member of the Houthi political bureau. The rallies also highlighted the group's call for public mobilization, stressing readiness for a general response if military confrontations with the U.S. or other international parties resume. Observers believe these events reflect the readiness of Houthi supporters to back any steps the group may take if the escalation expands.

China achieves breakthrough in commercial space fuel diversification with reusable carrier rocket

China's reusable Long March-10B carrier rocket made its maiden flight on Friday, using high-purity methane propellant derived from liquefied natural gas (LNG) on a large scale for the first time -- a milestone in fuel diversification for the commercial space sector.

China successfully launched the Long March-10B carrier rocket at the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in south China's Hainan Province on Friday, achieving its first-ever controlled recovery of a carrier rocket's first stage.

The rocket sent the payload into the preset orbit. After the separation of the rocket's first and second stages, the first stage returned and was successfully captured on a seaborne platform via a net-capture system.

Standing around 63 meters tall with a diameter of 5 meters, the the Long March-10B carrier rocket is China's first commercial reusable rocket to use liquid oxygen-methane propellant.

The methane fuel for the rocket had a purity of 98.7 percent and was entirely sourced from domestic supplies, according to the China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec).

"High-purity methane fuel can be produced from LNG for civilian use. The fuel used in this launch was refined from over 1,000 tons of LNG through a three-stage deep purification process. Compared with traditional liquid hydrogen fuel, its storage and transportation costs are 40 percent lower, offering a new and viable fuel solution for the routine low-cost and high-frequency launches in China's commercial space sector," said Cao Lizhao, manager of the south China sales center with Sinopec natural gas company.

Liquid oxygen-methane propellant is emerging as a new generation of commercial space fuel in China, thanks to its strong performance, compatibility with reusable rocket technology, environmental friendliness, and ease of storage and transport.

"The successful application of high-purity methane fuel in this commercial space mission helps establish a multi-channel, substitutable, safe and reliable supply system of space fuel, providing a cost-effective, green and low-carbon technological path for the high-quality development of the commercial space industry, and comprehensively enhancing the sector's self-reliance and core market competitiveness," said Ding Dapeng, manager of the LNG business management center with the Sinopec natural gas company.