Iran-Backed Houthis Claim New Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed new attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia overnight, while Yemen’s Saudi-backed government described the rebels’ rapid advance along the Red Sea coast as a “painful” development that has opened a new front in the Iran war.

In recent days, the Houthis have captured a key port city and an island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strategically important waterway provides an alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi advance has raised concerns in international markets, while Yemeni civilians fear that the developments could trigger a return to the country’s devastating civil war.

The Houthis said they launched missile and drone attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia overnight. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, whose forces have been fighting the rebels for years.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement that the group targeted a military base in Sharurah province in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region. However, he provided no evidence to support the claim and did not specify when the attack took place.

Saudi civil defense authorities said a projectile fell overnight in al-Tawwal governorate near the Yemeni border along the Red Sea. Two people were injured, while a mosque and several other buildings were damaged. Saudi authorities blamed the Houthis for the incident.

The authorities also said warning sirens were activated in Sharurah province but reported no casualties or damage there.

As of Sunday, Saudi Arabia had not issued a statement reporting any new attacks against the Houthis. The rebels have continued to target Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping and recently declared a blockade.

Although the Houthis have said that other commercial shipping faces no threat, their military activity has continued to unsettle international markets. Oil prices have also risen again amid concerns over possible disruptions to shipping and energy supplies.

Yemen’s Government Vows to Fight Back

A senior Yemeni government official said government forces would return to the Red Sea coast and fight back against the Houthi advance.

People fleeing areas affected by the offensive told The Associated Press that government forces had withdrawn from several positions and urged residents to flee.

Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen’s ruling Presidential Council, described the collapse of government forces in the port city of Mokha and elsewhere along the country’s western coast as “painful and regrettable.”

The Houthis’ rapid advance has raised concerns that the conflict could further widen amid the broader war involving Iran. In particular, renewed tensions over control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could affect commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime routes and potentially disrupt global energy supplies.

Source: AP