Houthis Claim Responsibility for Attacks on Saudi Oil Facility and Yemeni Port

The Houthis have claimed responsibility for attacks on a Saudi oil facility and a Yemeni port, further escalating tensions in the Middle East. The attacks come just over four years after a truce brought major fighting in Yemen to an end.

At least seven people, including four troops and three civilians, were killed in the Houthis' attack on Mokha, a crucial port on the Red Sea. Fifteen civilians were injured, according to the National Resistance Forces, a Yemeni government-allied force.

The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the group targeted an Aramco refinery in the city of Jazan with a drone, as well as Saudi-backed troops and military equipment near the city. The attack was in response to Saudi drones allegedly entering Yemen's airspace over the provinces of Hajjah and Saada.

The attacks have raised concerns about maritime security, particularly given Yemen's location near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Iran has also made new demands about the restart of negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, including a permanent end to the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region.