Houthis Fire Missiles at Saudi Oil Facilities in Retaliatory Strike

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a retaliatory attack on Saudi Arabia, firing missiles and drones at facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan. The targets belong to Aramco, the world's largest oil company.

The attack comes after Saudi airstrikes hit the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Houthis. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the strike targeted 'legitimate military targets' in Hodeida province that were linked to threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The escalation further threatens global shipping as the Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. This vital shipping chokepoint connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and around 12% of the world's trade passes through it.