Saudi-Led Coalition Strikes Houthis as Red Sea Tensions Escalate

RIYADH- Saudi-led coalition forces carried out airstrikes on Houthi military positions in Yemen’s western Hodeidah governorate on Friday, saying the operation was a response to attacks on Saudi-linked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, in the most significant military exchange between the two sides in years.

Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki said the strikes targeted what he described as legitimate military objectives belonging to the Houthi movement and that the operation had concluded. The coalition said the action followed Houthi attacks on Saudi vessels and threats to target additional ships that failed to comply with the group’s declared maritime blockade.

Saudi authorities confirmed that one Saudi-linked vessel had been attacked in the Red Sea. State media, citing a transport authority official, said the Saudi-owned vessel NCC MASA sustained minor damage to its hull before continuing its voyage.

A Yemeni security source said a naval base in Hodeidah and a military camp on Kamaran Island were among the targets of the coalition strikes. Residents reported hearing explosions near Hodeidah, including in areas close to the port.

The Houthi-run foreign ministry described the strikes as the beginning of a phase of “escalation for escalation.” Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported that two people were injured, including a worker in Hodeidah city and a woman on Kamaran Island.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Al-Malki said coalition forces had not targeted Hodeidah port or any airport in Yemen. He said the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Salif remained open to commercial shipping, while airports had been spared to preserve civilian air traffic. He accused the Houthis of preventing the resumption of flights at Sanaa International Airport.

The coalition said it would continue taking measures to safeguard Saudi Arabia’s maritime interests and commercial shipping, warning it would respond decisively if further attacks occurred.

The escalation threatens a fragile truce that has largely held since 2022 despite its formal expiration. It also comes as disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have increased the strategic importance of Red Sea export routes for Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil exporters.

According to Kpler data cited in the source material, all of Saudi Arabia’s seaborne crude exports departed from the Red Sea port of Yanbu in April and May. The port accounted for 92% of such exports in June and 78% so far in July, highlighting the growing importance of the route amid wider regional tensions.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber reiterated the Kingdom’s support for efforts aimed at achieving de-escalation and a comprehensive political settlement to end Yemen’s conflict. In posts on X, he accused the Houthis of pursuing escalation to serve foreign agendas and of turning Yemen into what he described as a bargaining chip for external parties.

Al-Jaber also said Saudi Arabia continued to support the flow of commercial vessels into Hodeidah’s ports to meet humanitarian needs, while accusing the Houthis of attacking civilian merchant ships in the Red Sea and threatening international navigation.

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi echoed those criticisms, accusing the Houthis of jeopardising Yemen’s national interests through continued escalation. He said the group’s actions served Iran’s interests and described the latest confrontation as a waste of the country’s resources.

The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2014 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The latest military exchange underscores the growing risk that renewed regional tensions could further destabilise Yemen and threaten key international shipping lanes.