Houthi Rebels Fire Missiles at Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida, escalating tensions over vital shipping routes in the Middle East. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, stated that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan belonging to Aramco, the world's largest oil company. The Saudi-led coalition claimed it had struck 'legitimate military targets' in Hodeida province linked to threats against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a critical shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of global trade passes through the narrows, including a quarter of container traffic. The Houthi rebels have threatened to close the strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom's blockade on Yemen.
The escalation follows nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of U.S. attacks against Iran, with no reported strikes overnight in the country. Tensions remain high as the war has killed over 3,400 people in Iran and resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members, 24 civilians in Israel, and smaller numbers of civilians across the region.