Skip to content

WorldDeveloping

Houthis and Saudi-led coalition exchange airstrikes as fighting continues in Yemen

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

5 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Industrial refinery with smokestacks and storage tanks, smoke rising, under hazy sky.
Image via Deutsche WelleHow images are chosenReport this image

Fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia has continued in Yemen, with strikes reported on both sides. The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out overnight airstrikes on Yemen’s northern border and western coast, according to an Associated Press report, and Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond. Center and left outlets report that a deadly attack at Riyadh’s international airport was followed by new Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on oil facilities across Houthi-controlled Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s operations would continue, targeting Saudi airports and oil facilities. Forces aligned with Yemen’s government said they intercepted a drone headed toward Medina and a missile fired toward Riyadh.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out overnight airstrikes on Yemen’s northern border and western coast; Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond.

    One outletThe Washington Times· Right

  2. Fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia has continued, with Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, military sites, oil facilities and airports.

    Reported byLeft1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Deutsche Welle, PBS NewsHour

  3. A deadly attack at Riyadh’s international airport was followed by new Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on oil facilities across Houthi-controlled Yemen.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Conversation
    Center
    PBS NewsHour

  4. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s operations would continue, targeting Saudi airports and oil facilities.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

  5. Forces aligned with Yemen’s government said they intercepted a drone headed toward Medina and a missile fired toward Riyadh.

    One outletAl Jazeera English· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Saudi Arabia carried out overnight airstrikes on Yemen’s northern border and western coast.

    The Houthis say Saudi Arabia carried out the strikes, as reported by the Associated Press; Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to the claim.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Center and left outlets report escalating strikes between Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia, including a deadly Riyadh airport attack. The right-side report focuses on Houthi claims of Saudi airstrikes, center headlines stress mutual strikes, and left headlines stress intensifying fighting.

  • the left

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    Headlines frame the story as intensifying fighting in Yemen, while the Conversation’s opinion piece frames the Houthis as taking the war to Saudi Arabia and challenging the Iranian-proxy label.

    Fighting in Yemen intensifies: What’s the latest on the battlefield?
    Al Jazeera EnglishLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Headlines describe the conflict as mutual strikes and escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, with PBS NewsHour adding the risk of a wider regional war.

    Houthis and Saudis strike each other in latest escalation
    Deutsche WelleCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Presents the story as a Houthi accusation of Saudi airstrikes, with Saudi silence noted; the only right-side coverage is an Associated Press report carried by the Washington Times, not its own writing.

    Houthi rebels report airstrikes in Yemen, and other Middle East developments
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    Iranian proxy

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Partisan shorthand

    Iranian proxyMore neutral: Iran-backed group

    A label used by critics of the Houthis that implies Iranian control of the group.

    …are bringing their war to Saudi Arabia – and reframing the narrative of being an Iranian proxy

    Used byThe Conversation (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Escalating fighting in Yemen
  • Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports
  • Houthis aiming to raise the cost of the war for Saudi Arabia

Leaves out

  • Houthi claims of overnight Saudi airstrikes on Yemen
  • Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Houthi-controlled oil facilities

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Mutual strikes between Houthis and Saudi Arabia
  • Economic toll on Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi officials halting warnings of Houthi attacks
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • PBS NewsHourCenter

    Saudi conflict with Houthis escalates with new strikes

    The threat of a widening war on the Arabian Peninsula is accelerating. Houthi rebels in Yemen are again targeting Saudi infrastructure and military sites, escalating a conflict which may yet draw in other regional powers. …

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)
  • Deutsche WelleCenter

    Houthis and Saudis strike each other in latest escalation

    Fighting has continued between Iran-backed rebels and Saudi Arabia, adversely impacting the kingdom's economy and security. Still, Saudi officials have stopped warning of Houthi attacks in an effort to calm fears.

    Read at Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Houthi accusation of Saudi airstrikes
  • Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Houthi rebels report airstrikes in Yemen, and other Middle East developments

    Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Tuesday accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out overnight airstrikes along Yemen's northern border with the kingdom and its western coastline. Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to the claim.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 day 23 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 15, 6:52 AM EDT

  • Center

    21 min later

    Its first report, Oct 13, 7:56 AM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    The Washington Times, Oct 13, 7:35 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Washington TimesRightOct 13, 7:35 AM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 13, 7:56 AM EDT
  3. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 13, 6:50 PM EDT
  4. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 15, 6:52 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page