Houthis Attack Saudi Facilities in Red Sea Amid Escalating Mideast Tensions

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched an attack on Saudi Arabia's facilities in the Red Sea, targeting Aramco oil company in the cities of Yanbu and Jizan. This comes after Saudi airstrikes hit the port city of Hodeida in Yemen.

According to Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, the attack was a response to the Saudi strikes on Hodeida. The Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping, which could further choke global shipping.

The conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia marks a new front in the Middle East war that has engulfed the region. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called for 'diplomacy and dialogue' to solve the Yemen conflict without military confrontations.

Tension remains high following recent escalations between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, with the US having fired on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman that was trying to breach its renewed blockade of Iran's ports.