Houthis Launch Fresh Missile, Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia

Houthis Launch Fresh Missile, Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has launched a fresh missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions as the group expands its military presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and moves closer to the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis said on Sunday that they had fired ballistic missiles and drones at the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia, claiming the attack targeted weapons depots and command-and-control facilities.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used a large barrage of missiles and drones in the operation and claimed that the weapons struck their intended targets.

He described the attack as a response to continuing Saudi military operations against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and warned that further strikes deeper inside Saudi Arabia could follow if those operations continued. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the Houthi claim concerning the Sharurah military base. (Anadolu Ajansı)

The latest claim came shortly after Saudi authorities reported that a projectile had landed in Al-Tuwal governorate in the Jazan region, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and other property.

Saudi Civil Defence said emergency teams responded to the incident and dealt with the damage caused by the projectile. The Jazan attack adds to a series of recent strikes on southern Saudi Arabia as the confrontation between the kingdom and the Houthis intensifies. (Al Jazeera)

The renewed attacks follow a much larger wave of Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory earlier in the week.

Saudi authorities said at least 73 people were injured in those attacks, which affected cities and economic facilities in the kingdom’s south, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

The attacks also disrupted operations at some Saudi energy facilities, with fires reported at several sites. The developments have raised fresh concerns about the security of the world’s largest oil exporter at a time when regional energy supplies are already under severe pressure. (Reuters)

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The latest escalation is occurring against the backdrop of a major Houthi offensive inside Yemen.

Houthi forces have rapidly advanced along the country’s Red Sea coast, capturing the strategically important port city of Mocha and moving towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Reuters reported that Houthi forces had also reached Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, in the Bab el-Mandeb, after Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces withdrew from the island. Houthi forces were also reported to have taken the mainland coastal town of Dhubab, which faces Perim. (Reuters)

The development is strategically significant because the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major route for commercial vessels travelling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Any sustained Houthi control or disruption of the waterway could therefore affect international shipping, energy supplies and global trade.

The threat is particularly serious because the Strait of Hormuz, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, is already severely disrupted by the wider conflict involving Iran and the United States.

The simultaneous pressure on both maritime corridors could create major challenges for global energy markets.

Reuters reported that the Houthi advance has already increased concerns over Saudi oil exports, while oil prices have risen sharply amid fears that the conflict could disrupt additional supply routes. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on routes through the Red Sea to export crude after disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

That makes the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb particularly sensitive for Riyadh.

The Houthis have indicated that their maritime restrictions are focused on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, while the group’s growing military presence around the strait has raised wider concerns about freedom of navigation.

The United Nations has warned that the developments in Yemen represent a potentially more dangerous phase of the conflict.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the Security Council that the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb was creating serious concerns over navigation and the broader security situation.

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The Houthi movement has defended its operations as acts of self-defence and said its attacks would stop if attacks against Yemen ended.

Saudi Arabia, however, has accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilian and economic infrastructure and has vowed to protect its territory and vital national assets.

The current escalation is particularly significant because Saudi Arabia and the Houthis had largely avoided direct large-scale cross-border attacks following the 2022 UN-brokered truce.

That period of relative calm helped reduce violence along the Saudi-Yemeni border, although a comprehensive political settlement to Yemen’s war was never reached.

The latest fighting threatens to undo that progress.

The conflict also has a wider regional dimension because the Houthis are closely aligned with Iran, while Saudi Arabia remains a key US partner in the Gulf.

The United States has accused the Houthis of acting as an Iranian proxy, while Tehran has called for dialogue and rejected the idea that the Yemen conflict can be resolved through military action.

US President Donald Trump has meanwhile said the Houthis had contacted his administration and indicated that they wanted to avoid direct US involvement in Yemen. Trump has also spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid the worsening regional crisis. (Reuters)

The latest Houthi advances have placed Washington in a difficult strategic position.

According to Reuters, the group’s growing presence around the Bab el-Mandeb could threaten another major international shipping route while US military resources are already stretched by the wider conflict with Iran. (Reuters)

For Saudi Arabia, the immediate challenge is preventing further missile and drone attacks on populated areas, military installations and energy infrastructure.

The kingdom has increased security measures around vulnerable locations and has repeatedly warned that it will defend its territory and strategic assets.

For international markets, however, the biggest concern is the possible impact on oil supplies and global shipping.

The Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial route for ships travelling through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal. A prolonged disruption could force vessels to take longer routes around Africa, increasing fuel consumption, freight costs, insurance premiums and delivery times.

The latest developments are therefore being closely watched by shipping companies, energy traders and governments around the world.

The Houthi military advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast has also displaced civilians and deepened concerns over the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis.

The renewed fighting threatens to create further displacement and make the delivery of humanitarian assistance more difficult.

For Saudi Arabia, the attacks represent the most serious direct Houthi threat in years.

For the wider region, the combination of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the group’s advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb, and continuing instability around the Strait of Hormuz could create a new and more dangerous phase of the Middle East conflict.

The immediate situation remains fluid, with the Houthis threatening further attacks while Saudi Arabia maintains its right to respond.

The latest missile and drone strikes therefore mark more than another exchange between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. They are part of a rapidly expanding regional crisis with potential consequences for Middle East security, oil prices, maritime trade and global energy supplies.

Houthis Launch Fresh Missile, Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia