Houthi rebels supported by Iran stated they launched a missile strike against Saudi Arabia on Saturday. This action occurred shortly after the group promised to retaliate for Saudi military operations. The previous day, Riyadh executed strikes against Houthi military positions in Hodeida, which reportedly left two individuals injured according to rebel news outlets. These skirmishes represent an expansion of the regional conflict, following earlier US-Israeli actions against Tehran in February. The Houthis previously established a maritime blockade, threatening Saudi shipping interests in the Red Sea.
Reports from the Houthi-affiliated Ansarollah media outlet on Telegram claimed that a missile impact caused fires within Jizan, a Saudi city located on the Red Sea coast. While the Saudi government did not immediately verify the claim, the kingdom’s civil defense agency briefly issued safety alerts for residents in Jizan and Yanbu. These warnings were retracted shortly thereafter. This escalation follows Saudi-led coalition efforts to neutralize Houthi threats against commercial vessels near Hodeida and Kamaran island.
The current instability jeopardizes a 2022 truce that had largely endured despite technically expiring. The Red Sea has become a critical corridor for Saudi oil exports, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. Recent data indicates that the vast majority of Saudi seaborne crude now moves through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, underscoring the strategic stakes of this ongoing confrontation in Yemen, which has already caused significant loss of life since 2014.
