• Yemeni Houthi rebels target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the country’s west with two missiles, according to Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency.

Russia demands lifting of maritime, land blockade of Yemen

The Russian representative at the UN Security Council blames the US and Israel for the escalating violence in Yemen, while calling for the complete lifting of the blockade on the country.

“We explicitly demand the complete lifting of the maritime and land blockade of Yemen, and the removal of all restrictions on the delivery of food, medicine and essential goods to the country,” said delegate Yulia Zhdanova.

She told the UN Security Council that the prolonged stagnation in the Yemeni peace process forced the Houthis to be “dragged into a regional confrontation initiated by the US and Israel”.

The diplomat called for an immediate resumption of negotiations, adding that a political resolution will only be possible through dialogue that considers “the fair interests of all of the leading political forces in the country”, including the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia announces start of Red Sea defence alliance

Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries have confirmed the creation of a maritime military coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with more nations expected to join.

Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen are the first to sign up.

Yemen’s Houthis target Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia, Houthi-affiliated media reports

Yemen’s Saba news agency, citing a military source, said the group carried out a drone attack on Saudi Aramco’s facility in Najran city.

The military source told Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency the attack was in response to what it described as Saudi military aircraft ⁠violating Yemen’s sovereignty by ⁠entering airspace over the northeastern part of Saada governorate.

There ⁠was no immediate ⁠confirmation from Saudi ⁠authorities or Aramco. It was not immediately clear from ‌the report whether the facility was hit.

Houthi attack on Yemen’s Mokha kills 6, government source says

A military official from Yemen’s internationally recognized government tells the AFP news agency that the Houthi attack earlier today on the port city of Mokha killed six people, two of them security personnel.

The Iran-aligned rebels “fired five missiles at commercial ships unloading at the port, and two ships are on fire”, the official told AFP.