Houthis claim attack on Saudi base as Yemen advance intensifies

Houthi fighters claimed a drone and missile attack on a military base in southern Saudi Arabia on Sunday as fighting escalated across Yemen, displacing more than 85,000 people and straining crude oil supplies past $100 a barrel amid a widening regional conflict.

The latest assault targeted weapons depots and command and control centers at the southern Sharurah base, according to a statement posted on social media by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree. The strike comes on the heels of a rapid Houthi offensive that seized the remainder of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the strategic port city of Mocha and nearby islands, cementing rebel control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Escalating Strikes and Border Fronts

While the Houthi command claimed the Sharurah base operation was a direct response to ongoing air raids, Saudi authorities reported that civil defense responders handled multiple projectile impacts along the border. According to the Saudi civil defense directorate a projectile landed in the al-Tawwal governorate near the Red Sea border, resulting in two injuries and damaging a mosque, several buildings, and vehicles.

The cross-border exchange follows heavy aerial bombardment across Yemen. The Houthis stated that Saudi enemy aircraft conducted 129 airstrikes on areas under their control over a 48-hour window. Meanwhile, internationally recognized Yemeni government forces reported striking rebel positions in the southwest, with the government news agency Saba detailing operations that destroyed vehicles and weapons near Mocha.

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Strait Realities and Energy Shockwaves

The collapse of government positions along Yemen’s west coast has fundamentally shifted maritime security at the southern entrance of the Red Sea. With Iran largely cutting off petroleum transit through the Gulf via its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab corridor has transformed into an indispensable artery for Saudi oil exports.

Photo: aol.com

Yet that artery faces mounting peril. The Houthis recently declared a maritime blockade targeting Riyadh’s Red Sea ports, compounding disruptions caused when drones launched from Iraq hit Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina areas. That critical infrastructure, spanning 745 miles across the Arabian Peninsula to bypass both maritime chokepoints, had been moving between four and five million barrels per day—accounting for up to 5 percent of global oil supply.

The simultaneous squeeze on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula pushed crude oil prices past $100 (£74) a barrel for the first time since July. Energy markets remain exceptionally jittery despite rebel assurances that commercial shipping outside the blockade faces no threat.

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Regrouping and Political Fallout

Inside the internationally recognized government, leaders are confronting a stinging reversal. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling presidential council and governor of Marib province, described the loss of Mocha as painful and regrettable in a televised interview. He insisted that government forces are currently regrouping and will return to the battle in one form or another.

Photo: theglobeandmail.com

Military insiders blamed coordination failures between the regular army and allied militias for handing the insurgents an easy opening. The National Resistance—a government-allied force commanded by Tariq Saleh—released its first comprehensive casualty toll, reporting that more than 500 government fighters had died on the west coast over a four-week period alongside roughly 1,500 wounded.

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Regional Shocks and Rising Displacement

The geopolitical shockwaves extend well beyond the immediate battle zones. The Houthi advance has brought insurgent forces within 32 kilometers of Djibouti across the Bab al-Mandab Strait, threatening the perimeter of a U.S. military base in Africa, alongside facilities maintained by China, France, and Japan.

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 85,000 people have been displaced across Yemen since the month began, with thousands arriving on the Horn of Africa.

Diplomatic efforts to contain the escalation have faced steep hurdles. Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman twice called Donald Trump last week to request direct U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but those requests were turned down. While acknowledging the conversations, Trump told reporters that everything’s gonna work out fine and dandy, leaving open whether Washington will intervene as regional energy routes and supply chains absorb mounting damage.