Houthis Fire Missiles at Saudi Arabia in Response to Airstrikes in Yemen
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia on Saturday in response to airstrikes on the Red Sea city of Hodeida. The Houthis claim they targeted facilities owned by Aramco, the world's largest oil company, in the cities of Yanbu and Jizan.
Brig Gen Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, said in a statement that the attack was meant to retaliate against Saudi Arabia's blockade on Yemen. The Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping if their demands are not met.
The Red Sea is a vital shipping route, with around 12% of the world's trade passing through it. The Houthi-led Supreme Political Council has said that they would only lift the blockade if the aggression and blockade on Yemen were ended.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called for 'diplomacy and dialogue' to solve the Yemen conflict without military confrontations in an interview published by the state-run newspaper Iran. However, Iran has condemned what it calls a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea.