Yemen’s Houthis fire missiles, drones at Saudi Arabia in response to strikes on Hodeida - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported from Cairo that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Saturday they launched missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia after Saudi airstrikes in Hodeida, a strategic Red Sea city in Yemen. Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a recorded statement that the attacks were aimed at Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan, two Saudi cities on the Red Sea. Saudi civil defense authorities said alerts were triggered several times early Saturday in both locations, but the kingdom did not provide additional details, according to AP.

The exchange followed Houthi attacks this week on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it responded with strikes in Hodeida province, describing the targets as military sites linked to threats against commercial vessels. Houthi-run health ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said strikes late Friday hit the port and the state telecommunications company, injuring two people. The coalition denied striking the port.

AP placed the escalation within rising pressure on key Middle East shipping corridors. The Houthis have threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping, citing Saudi actions including a blockade on Yemen and an attack on Sanaa’s international airport. The strait links the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and is a major global trade chokepoint.

The report also noted wider regional tensions involving Iran and the United States around the Strait of Hormuz. AP said there were no reported overnight strikes in Iran after nearly two weeks of consecutive U.S. attacks, while Iran’s foreign minister called for diplomacy to address the Yemen conflict.