Houthis claim strike on Saudi Arabia as conflict deepens
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on southern Saudi Arabia, opening a volatile new front as regional conflict deepens and threatens energy routes.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile strike on southern Saudi Arabia on Saturday, opening a volatile new front as the wider regional conflict deepens. The escalation follows Riyadh launching airstrikes against Houthi military targets in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island on Friday, according to a Yemeni security source. Those Saudi operations came in direct response to the Yemeni group declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and attacking its commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The tit-for-tat exchanges threaten to completely unravel a 2022 truce that had largely held despite expiring, plunging the Arabian Peninsula back into active hostilities.
The Ansarollah media outlet announced via Telegram that a missile strike had sparked fires in the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Saturday morning. Saudi civil defence authorities briefly issued danger warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu at approximately 6:10 am local time before lifting them minutes later, stating on X that the danger had passed.
Media additions
The latest flare-up marks a new front of the war that has engulfed the region following US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February. It also compounds an already severe squeeze on regional energy flows. Vital maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by parallel blockades and hostilities between Washington and Tehran. With the Houthis now targeting Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export routes through ports like Yanbu—which handled the vast majority of the kingdom's seaborne crude exports during recent months—energy markets face unprecedented pressure.
The conflict has also complicated diplomatic tracks. US President Donald Trump stated that he will not move forward with a civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia until the kingdom agrees to normalise relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump also addressed ongoing negotiations with Iran:
"I think they're being serious. I think … they are being by far the most serious that we've seen them, but that doesn't mean we get there,"
Donald Trump, US President, via Associated Press and ABC News
The White House incumbent added that Iran faces a choice between securing a diplomatic deal or confronting a much higher level of bombardment, noting that the US military broke its daily announcement of fresh strikes on the Islamic republic on Saturday following 13 nights in a row of hitting military targets.
The broader theater saw additional friction points across the Middle East. The US military disabled another merchant vessel attempting to breach its port blockade, firing directly into the engine room of the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after repeated warnings were ignored, as confirmed by Capt. Tim Hawkins, a US Central Command spokesperson. In Iraq, security officials reported that five explosives-laden drones were shot down near the airport in Irbil, where American military advisers are stationed. Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks targeting US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, though official confirmations from Washington remained pending, and both Bahrain and Jordan reported intercepting aerial attacks.
Conflict Timeline and Recent Escalations
- Earlier in the week: Houthi rebels announce a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and target Red Sea shipping, hitting Saudi oil tankers including the NCC MASA.
- Friday: The Saudi-led coalition conducts retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi military targets in Hodeida and Kamaran island. Iran-backed forces simultaneously launch drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region.
- Saturday: Houthis claim a missile strike on Jizan, sparking refinery fires, while Riyadh briefly issues civil defence warnings. US President Donald Trump pauses daily announcements of strikes on Iran, citing ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
What happens next depends heavily on whether diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran yield a concrete framework, or if the Houthi blockade on Red Sea energy routes provokes further sustained military retaliation from Riyadh and its allies. Observers will also be watching for any shift in the enforcement of maritime blockades across both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz as global energy markets react to the persistent threats.
