Houthis Claim Responsibility for Missile Attack on Jizan City Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for a missile attack on Saudi Arabia's Jizan city, located on the Red Sea coast. The strike sparked fires and dark clouds rose above a refinery belonging to Saudi Aramco, as seen in a video verified by AFP.

This incident comes amidst rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels, who have been at war with the internationally recognized government since 2015. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and triggered a major humanitarian crisis, but fighting had largely subsided following a UN-negotiated truce in 2022.

The Houthi's announcement of a maritime blockade on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea added to the escalating tensions. Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted an Amazon data center in Bahrain, though neither Amazon nor Bahrain has confirmed this claim.