Houthi Rebels Blockade Saudi Ships, Launch Oil Facility Attacks

The Houthi rebels have resumed fighting with Saudi Arabia after five months of relative calm. The group has claimed to be blockading Saudi Arabian ships in the Red Sea and launched attacks on Aramco's oil facilities, according to the Washington Post.

Satellite imagery shows signs of attack at two oil and gas facilities in Jazan and Yanbu. The Houthi have also used ballistic missiles and drones targeting these sites.

Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi-backed commentator, argued that targeting oil facilities was a deliberate strategy to put pressure on Saudi Arabia by attacking its 'weakest point'. He claimed that tensions would continue to escalate if Saudi Arabia did not meet the Houthi demands, including easing the blockade of Yemen and exchanging prisoners.

Nadwa Al-Dawsari, an expert at the Middle East Institute (USA), believes that the Houthi's current involvement is a calculated move to increase pressure without fully expanding the Red Sea front. She argues that their selective targeting aims to exert economic pressure and send a deterrent signal while keeping more forceful options open.