Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia as Tensions in Red Sea Escalate

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen, launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia on Saturday in response to airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida. The strikes targeted facilities in the cities of Yanbu and Jizan that belong to Aramco, the world's largest oil company.

The Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a statement that the attack was a response to Saudi airstrikes on Hodeida, which has been a key battleground in the conflict. The Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The tensions in the region are further complicated by the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, which has been at the center of the crisis. The US military fired on a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, while Iran targeted US-allied countries in the region.