Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida. The Houthis' military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said the attack targeted facilities in the cities of Yanbu and Jizan that belong to Aramco, the world's largest oil company.
The strikes come as tensions escalate over vital shipping routes in the Middle East. The Red Sea is a critical chokepoint for global trade, with around 12% of the world's trade passing through its waters, including a quarter of all container traffic.
Saudi Arabia struck Hodeida port and the state-run telecommunications corporation, injuring two people, according to Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry. The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it targeted 'legitimate military targets' linked to threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea.