Houthi Rebels Escalate Conflict with Saudi Arabia Amid Rising Tensions

The conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia continues to escalate in the Middle East. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, said they fired missiles and drones at Saudi facilities in response to a recent airstrike on the city of Hodeida. Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that the attack targeted oil facilities in Yanbu and Jizan owned by Aramco.

Saudi Arabia's civil defense confirmed that alerts were sounded multiple times, but the Kingdom has not commented further on the incident. Meanwhile, there were no reported strikes overnight in Iran, marking a break from nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of US attacks.

The rising tensions threaten global shipping as the Houthi rebels have stated they would close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. The strait is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which 12% of the world's trade passes.