Houthis Strike Saudi Oil Facilities as New Middle East Front Erupts

The Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, targeting Aramco sites. The attack was in response to a strike by Saudi Arabia against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday. A video statement by the military spokesman Yahya Saree threatened to expand the group's response if attacked.

A surface-to-air battery operated by Greek personnel downed two ballistic missiles and a drone targeting Yanbu. The attack comes amid renewed hostilities between regional allies of the US and Iran, with fighting intensifying on a new front. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered to help start a dialogue between the Houthis and the Saudis, stating that 'there is no military solution to the issue.'

The threat to shipping in the Red Sea comes as Iran imposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with four ships attempting to transit the strategic chokepoint stopped by Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The US had presented a plan for further strikes against Iran but President Donald Trump decided not to authorize it.