Houthis Vow Retaliation After Saudi Airstrikes Escalate Mideast War

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have vowed to retaliate against Saudi Arabia after accusing Riyadh of targeting civilian infrastructure, escalating the Middle East conflict.

Riyadh launched airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Hodeida, Yemen, with rebel media reporting two wounded. The Houthis had announced a maritime blockade of top oil producer Saudi Arabia and hit its ships.

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki stated that the strikes were in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping. He said the coalition 'carried out a decisive and strong response' targeting Houthi military sites used to threaten commercial vessels.