Yemeni government forces calling for a resumption of fighting against Houthi rebels [AFP via Yonhap]
Yemeni government forces calling for a resumption of fighting against Houthi rebels [AFP via Yonhap]

The Middle East conflict has entered a new phase as Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels in retaliation for a maritime blockade and attacks on oil tankers.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition said Friday (local time) it carried out a "proportional military response operation" targeting military sites linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen's Hodeidah, according to Yonhap and Reuters.

The coalition warned it would respond "without compromise" if the Houthis continued hostile acts.

Houthi-affiliated broadcaster Al Masirah TV reported that Saudi strikes on Hodeidah province left two people wounded, AFP said.

Explosions were heard across Hodeidah province, which borders the Red Sea, particularly around the port. Rebel media said the strikes targeted local telecommunications infrastructure and Kamaran Island off the Hodeidah coast.

A source told AFP that Saudi Arabia had directly struck facilities owned by the Houthis.

Shortly after the Saudi strikes, the Houthis said Saturday they launched a missile attack on the southern Saudi city of Jizan.

The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of triggering "dangerous escalation" and warned they would not "stand idly by."

Saudi authorities issued an alert for a "potential threat" in Jizan and surrounding areas, only to lift it within minutes.

The clash marks a new front in the war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, AFP said.

The Houthis are an Iran-backed separatist force, and Saudi Arabia has backed Yemen's government troops fighting against them.

The two sides entered a UN-brokered truce in April 2022, but the Houthis declared the truce over on Monday, July 20, blaming Saudi Arabia for a bombing at Sanaa airport, the Yemeni capital.

The Houthis subsequently declared a full maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and said they carried out military operations targeting two Saudi oil tankers on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said the oil tanker NCC Masa, owned by a Saudi company, sustained minor hull damage after being attacked in the Red Sea.


arete@heraldcorp.com