Houthis Launch Missile Attack on Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Conflict in Yemen

The conflict in Yemen escalated on Saturday as Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, targeting facilities belonging to Aramco, the world's largest oil company. The attack came after Saudi airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida, which is controlled by the Houthis.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, stated that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan. The Saudi civil defense issued alerts for multiple strikes in both cities, but the Kingdom has not commented further on the matter.

The rising tension in the Red Sea threatens to disrupt global shipping, as the Houthis have said they would close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. This strait is a vital shipping chokepoint, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and accounting for around 12% of the world's trade.

The conflict has killed over 3,400 people in Iran, according to the Iranian Health Ministry. The war has also resulted in 18 U.S. service members, 24 civilians in Israel, and smaller numbers of civilians being reported dead in countries across the region.