• The Saudi-led Coalition Joint Forces Command said it targeted Houthi sites in Yemen’s Hodeidah, but that it did not hit the port there.
• Houthi media reported that the attacks targeted telecommunications and port facilities in Hodeidah and that a woman was injured on Kamaran Island.

US, Saudi Arabia won’t tolerate Houthi blockade of Bab al-Mandeb

Further military strikes against Houthi targets are likely to follow to try and persuade the Yemeni group to stop its blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, says Thomas Warrick, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

“The question really is what will it take to persuade the Houthis to stop shooting at ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb. This is a political decision for them, and I expect that we will see further military efforts by Saudi Arabia, by the United States and perhaps by other countries to try to persuade the Houthis to stop,” he said.

Warrick said the Houthis have effectively ended the ceasefire it agreed with the United States last year, promising not to fire on merchant ships passing through the strait.

“President Trump does have military assets that could be used to try to change the Houthi approach. I don’t see the United States or Saudi Arabia or other countries tolerating a blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb for very long. So, I think it’s only a question of how much force will be required to change the Houthi position and get them to stop shooting at merchant ships,” he said.

UN chief ‘deeply alarmed’ by Houthi Red Sea attacks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply alarmed” that Houthis have resumed attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said.

The attacks could “draw Yemen deeper into the regional conflict” and undermine “prospects for peace”, causing “serious economic, humanitarian and environmental consequences”, Dujarric added.

“International navigational rights and freedoms in and around Bab al-Mandeb must be fully restored,” he added.

Guterres called for “immediate de-escalation”, Dujarric added in remarks to reporters on Friday in New York.

Saudi Arabia issues alert of a potential danger in Yanbu Governorate

The directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has issued an alert of a potential danger in the Yanbu Governorate.

People are advised to remain calm and follow official instructions, the directorate said.

Saudi civil defense says danger has passed in Yanbu governorate

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has said that the danger has now passed in Yanbu Governorate.

Saudi Arabia briefly issues ‘potential danger’ alerts in Jazan and Yanbu

The Saudi Civil Defense Directorate issued alerts of “potential danger” in the Jazan and Yanbu governorates.

Minutes later, it reported that the danger had passed in both regions.

The directorate did not immediately provide further details regarding the nature of the threats.

Saudi Arabia issues new alert of a potential danger in Yanbu Governorate

The directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has issued another alert of a potential danger in the Yanbu Governorate.

People are advised to remain calm and follow official instructions, the directorate said.

Saudi civil defense says danger has passed in Yanbu governorate

The Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has said that the danger has now passed in Yanbu Governorate.

This was the third time tonight that the directorate issued a brief warning for Yanbu.

Saudi strikes on Kamaran Island prompt Houthi threats of retaliation

The Saudi military has announced that they targeted military sites in Yemen.

According to Yemen’s Ansar Allah group, commonly known as the Houthis, Saudi Arabia targeted the island of Kamaran and facilities belonging to telecommunication centers, all of which happened in the province of Hodeidah.

The island of Kamaran is strategically important because it lies near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping route where Saudi oil tankers have been targeted. For that reason, any escalation in Hodeidah province, where the island is located, has implications for maritime traffic. Saudi Arabia has previously carried out strikes in Hodeidah province, although it says the port itself has not been targeted and remains open and fully operational.

The response from Saudi Arabia was expected by the Houthis. They had warned that if Saudi Arabia attacked areas under their control, they would escalate by targeting not only oil tankers and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, but also Saudi Aramco facilities, airports, airbases and oil pipelines.

Saudi Arabia trying to identify source of attacks as Houthis retaliate

Saudi Arabia believes some of the Houthi attacks on tankers came from Kamaran Island.

However, US officials confirmed last year that the Houthis are launching attacks not just from the province of Hodeidah but throughout areas under their control.

So it seems like Saudi Arabia is trying to identify the source of these attacks on their oil tankers.

We knew there would be some type of response, and we have breaking news early this morning that the Houthis have actually retaliated and launched a series of attacks on the province of Jazan, in southern Saudi Arabia.

According to some of the reports we are receiving, these attacks caused fires in Jazan.

We have reports that some of the flights that were heading to Abaha international airport were forced to redirect, and several alarms and warning messages have been sent to residents in southern Saudi Arabia because of the sudden early morning attacks.

Houthis say naval blockade is first step in ‘blockade-for-blockade’ campaign

A Houthi spokesperson says the group’s naval blockade against Saudi Arabia is the first step in what he described as a “blockade-for-blockade” campaign.

Mohammed Abdulsalam accused Saudi Arabia of using military action and economic pressure after what he described as the failure of its eight-year war in Yemen, and alleged the kingdom is seeking to recover its losses through an economic blockade.

According to Al Masirah TV, he also accused Saudi Arabia of escalating the conflict by targeting Hodeidah, Kamaran Island, and Sanaa airport, and warned that any attacks on Yemen will be met with a response.

Saudi’s actions will have consequences for the kingdom’s security and economy, Abdulsalam said.

Saudi Arabia intercepts missiles launched from Yemen

Saudi Arabia has intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen, a news report says.

The missiles, shot down by a Greek-operated air defense system deployed in Saudi Arabia, targeted oil refineries in the western city of Yanbu, unnamed Greek security sources told Reuters news agency.

Earlier, Saudi authorities issued brief warnings to residents in the cities of Jizan and Yanbu after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis vowed to retaliate for attacks carried out by the kingdom this week.

Iraqi armed group leader backs Houthi threat to close Bab al-Mandeb

The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi armed group has urged Yemen’s Houthis to press ahead with closing the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait unless Gulf states lift their decade-long blockade on Yemen.

Abu Ala al-Walai, commander of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, made the statement late on Friday, the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw reported.

“The philosophy of deterrence is not exclusive to nuclear weapons,” al-Walai said, adding “the peoples of the resistance” have been given a geographic position that makes them uniquely able to influence global trade routes.

Defending the Houthis’ maritime threats against the backdrop of the Saudi-led blockade in place since 2015, he said Yemenis have the right to close the strait if “the doors of life are closed” on them.

“Open the doors of the blockade on Yemen, and the strait will be opened for you. But if you squeeze them, the strait will squeeze you,” he said.

Al-Walai’s faction is one of three Tehran-backed armed groups that have refused to disarm as Iraq’s government seeks to bring factions operating outside state control into the official security apparatus by September 30.

The comments come as the Houthis threaten to block Bab al-Mandeb during a sharp escalation with Saudi Arabia.

Houthi-led government condemns Saudi strikes, warns of escalation

The prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi-led government has condemned Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport, Hodeidah province and Kamaran Island, warning they would be met with further escalation.

Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV quoted the prime minister’s office as saying the attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, and warned they would be met with even greater escalation by Yemen’s people and armed forces.

Major-General Turki al-Maliki, the official spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, blamed the Houthis for the escalation, calling the group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping “cowardly and reckless”.

Houthis say they’ve launched 2 ‘sensitive operations’ against Saudi Arabia

Military spokesman Yahya Saree says the Houthis have launched two “sensitive operations” against Saudi Arabia and the principle of a “blockade for a blockade” will continue.

He said the group in Yemen targeted Aramco oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu as tit-for-tat strikes continue. There was ⁠no ⁠immediate Saudi confirmation.

Houthis pledge to face Saudi Arabia with ‘unwavering resolve and strength’

The Houthis have condemned Saudi Arabia’s air strikes on Hodeidah port and Kamaran Island and claimed air defences “intercepted enemy aircraft”.

In response, the group said they’ve launched two retaliatory strikes targeting Aramco oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, claiming direct hits.

The group pledged to maintain its naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and warned it was prepared to expand military operations if the conflict escalates further.

“In response to this blatant and criminal aggression, the Yemeni armed forces carried out two qualitative military operations: the first targeted sensitive Aramco facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, while the second targeted sensitive Aramco facilities in Yanbu with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones,” a Houthi statement said.

“This escalation of aggression confirms the Saudi enemy’s determination to continue its siege of our people and its violation of our country’s sovereignty, which is unacceptable. Our free, faithful and steadfast people will confront it with unwavering resolve and strength.”

Air strikes target Houthi reinforcements, missile launchers in Yemen

Air raids have hit Houthi reinforcements in Yemen’s central Marib and northern al-Jawf provinces.

“Air strikes targeted reinforcements belonging to the terrorist Houthi militias in Marib and al-Jawf,” Yemen TV reported without identifying who carried out the strikes.

The broadcaster said the strikes hit missile launchers, a Katyusha rocket-launching base, and Houthi weapons depots in the districts of al-Jubah, al-Safra and Majzar in the two provinces.

The air strikes killed several Houthi members, including missile-launch experts, it added. There was no immediate comment from the Houthi group on the report.

Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalated after the group threatened to ban Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Yemen’s US envoy says Houthi attacks part of Iranian strategy

Yemen’s ambassador to the United States says recent Houthi attacks are part of a broader Iranian strategy to expand regional influence.

Jamila Ali Raja, speaking at a roundtable hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the Iran-aligned Houthis have consistently undermined peace efforts, weakened Yemen’s economy by halting oil exports, and threatened international shipping.

“The Houthis’ recent attacks are part of a broader Iranian strategy to expand regional influence rather than isolated acts of piracy,” Raja said, according to a statement carried by Yemen’s state news agency Saba. She said the militia serves Tehran’s agenda instead of Yemen’s national interests.

Attacks on oil export facilities have caused an estimated $6bn in government revenue losses since 2022, she added.

The Houthis, who control the capital Sana'a and much of northern Yemen, have repeatedly targeted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since late 2023 in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza facing Israel’s genocide.

Yemeni official calls for higher combat readiness against Houthis

A member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has called for increased combat readiness within military and security units, describing the fight against the Houthis as a “fateful battle”.

Sultan al-Arada made the remarks during a meeting in Marib with Defense Minister, Taher al-Uqaili, and armed forces chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Saghir bin Aziz, where they “reviewed field conditions and progress of operational plans”, the Saba news agency reported.

Al-Arada said the campaign waged by government forces aims to restore state institutions and end “the rebellion” by the Houthis. He urged people in Houthi-controlled areas to resist the group’s recruitment of their children for its “losing wars”.

 

Houthis escalate with attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco sites

Throughout the entire week, Houthi officials have been hinting and indicating – and in some cases flat-out saying – we’re going to target the “bread and butter” of Saudi Arabia, which is Aramco oil facilities.

We’ve seen the Houthis in the past target its storage facilities, causing huge fires that engulfed the premises.

This forced Saudi Arabia to actually rush to the negotiating table to bring an end to the eight-year Saudi-led coalition attacks on Yemen.

With this latest attack, the Houthis are trying to demonstrate they have a second-strike capability – the ability to respond militarily and to attack after absorbing air strikes.

We’ve seen the Houthis do this, not just with Saudi Arabia, but also the US and in their war with Israel in 2023–2025.

The Houthis gave Saudi Arabia the option when they first imposed the blockade: either engage in negotiations to lift the blockade that’s being imposed on the group or go to a full-scale war. Saudi Arabia seems to have preferred the latter, which is why we are seeing this back and forth.

Saudi-led coalition faces ‘modern tactical problem’ in Yemen

Saudi Arabia and the broader region have much more production and supply capacity than the Aramco facilities attacked in Jizan, Cormac McGarry, director of maritime security services, a specialist risk management firm, says.

This means the latest attack is unlikely to “nix supplies”; however, the “very real threats in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz are the things that are really going to continue constricting the ability of shipping to get that supply out to the rest of the world”, he said from Amsterdam.

“The Saudi Arabian-led coalition and the US … face a modern tactical problem, which is you can throw as much sophisticated modern weaponry as you want into these geographical chokepoints, but you’re throwing them against relatively basic weaponry that has the advantage in a geographical chokepoint,” McGarry added.

“A $2bn US warship can only do so much against hundreds and thousands of relatively cheap drones, which don’t have to achieve that much to constrict shipping.”

Yemen’s Houthi spokesman meets Saudi delegation in Oman to address regional tension

Yemen’s Houthi political bureau spokesman, Mohammed Abdulsalam, has met with a Saudi delegation in Oman.

According to a source from Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthis, the meeting was “aimed at advancing regional security and stability”.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis fired on Saudi oil installations in two ports on the Red Sea coast on Saturday, after Riyadh launched air strikes on Yemen’s province of Hodeidah.

But the United States held back from launching air strikes on Iran itself for the first night in two weeks.

Iran urges dialogue to resolve Saudi-Yemen tensions

Iran has called for dialogue over rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said “a just solution to the Yemeni crisis” is needed.

Baghaei warned Yemen has no military solution to the conflict with Saudi Arabia and said Iran considers “returning to the path of dialogue and fully implementing the agreed roadmap to be the only way to end the suffering of the Yemeni people and maintain security and stability in the region.”

Baghaei said US policy in the region has complicated the situation in Yemen.

Unlikely to be a ‘massive reduction’ in maritime traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait

Since the Houthi campaign of attacks on shipping started in late 2023 and ended last year, traffic in the southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait has reduced by 50–60 percent and “it’s never really recovered”, Cormac McGarry, director of maritime security services at a specialist risk management firm, says.

Despite the latest Houthi attacks, the amount of traffic is unlikely to be “massively impacted… because we already have 40 to 50 percent of traffic having diverted around South Africa”, he said via videolink from Amsterdam.

The Houthis “are very specifically targeting ships serving Saudi Arabia”, so there probably won’t be a “massive reduction” in traffic, as most of the vessels are not serving Saudi Arabia, he explained.

“Container ships that are going through the Suez Canal to go from Asia to Europe, we’re probably not going to see a big drop in that traffic”, he said, adding that tankers serving Saudi Arabia through the Bab al-Mandeb will likely have to go via the Suez Canal.

The US does not want to do is see the military conflict expand

Israel, for the most part, has been on the sidelines, and this has been primarily a US-Iranian conflict for the past several weeks.

In the meantime, the US has put a lot of energy into getting the Lebanese government and the Israeli government to agree to try to start this pilot program of demilitarization in southern Lebanon, in order to try to bring peace.

The Houthis are a proxy organization for the Iranian government; so the US does not want to see another potential part of the conflict move to another part of the region, and so we can expect that this would be brought up as a point of discussion between the US and Iran.