Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan on Saturday.
Houthi Missile Strikes Hit Saudi Aramco Facilities
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated attacks against oil facilities belonging to the state oil company, Aramco, in the Red Sea coastal towns of Yanbu and Jizan. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced the operation in a video statement, marking the first time the group has struck Saudi oil infrastructure since 2022.
Civil defense alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday morning in both targeted cities as the strikes impacted Aramco-affiliated installations. Saree framed the offensive in social-media statements as a direct response to regional hostilities, asserting that both operations successfully achieved their objectives thanks to Allah Almighty, with accurate and direct strikes,
as reported. The military spokesperson described the actions as having been executed in response to this blatant and criminal aggression
originating from Saudi Arabia.
The Chokepoint Crisis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
The widening confrontation threatens vital global trade routes. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, situated at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, serves as an essential shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12 percent of global trade, including a quarter of all container traffic, passes through these narrow waters. The Houthis have stated their intention to close the strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Sanaa.
That hardline stance underscores the severe economic stakes involved. In addition to threatening the corridor, the rebels targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the week, pushing energy markets toward heightened volatility.
Saudi-Led Coalition Strikes Hodeida in Response
The Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels reacted swiftly to the maritime and refinery threats. Late Friday, coalition airstrikes hit Hodeida province in Yemen. Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, stated that the strikes damaged the city’s port and the state-run telecommunications corporation, injuring two people.
The coalition maintained that it did not strike the port itself, asserting instead that it targeted legitimate military targets
in Hodeida province that were linked to threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Diplomatic Appeals and Regional Fallout
Amid the exchange of fire, diplomatic channels remained active even as military confrontations persisted. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called for diplomacy and dialogue
to resolve the conflict in Yemen without military confrontations,
according to an interview published by the state-run newspaper Iran. Meanwhile, Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry, posted on social media that Iran had a peaceful night,
reflecting a temporary pause in direct domestic air attacks following nearly two weeks of consecutive US strikes.
However, friction extended beyond the Arabian Peninsula. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned what it termed a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, which left one person dead and another injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on social media that Ukraine had achieved strong results with long-range strikes in the Caspian region targeting vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.
As mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran continue, regional casualties mount across multiple fronts. The broader conflict has killed more than 3,400 people in Iran, according to its Health Ministry, alongside dozens of service members and civilians across Israel, Lebanon, and surrounding areas since hostilities began.
