Yemen’s Houthis announced on the morning of Saturday, July 25, that they had carried out a missile attack on Saudi Arabia, just hours after Saudi Arabia targeted the group’s positions in response to Houthi attacks on Saudi vessels.
The attacks came several days after the Iranian regime-backed Houthis announced the imposition of a “naval blockade” against Saudi Arabia and subsequently attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
The escalation has heightened concerns about the opening of a new front in the regional conflict and further disruptions to global oil shipping routes.
The Houthi-affiliated Ansar Allah media outlet reported early Saturday that a “missile attack” had caused a fire in the city of Jizan in southern Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed the claim. However, the Saudi Civil Defense Authority briefly warned residents of Jizan and Yanbu early Saturday of a “potential danger” before canceling the alerts a few minutes later.
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Similar warnings have been issued in the past when missiles or drones were launched toward Saudi Arabia.
The alleged Houthi attack came after the Saudi-led coalition announced on Friday that it had struck the group’s military positions in Yemen and destroyed targets that had been used to threaten commercial shipping.
The Houthis described the Saudi strikes as a “dangerous escalation” and warned that Riyadh’s actions “will not go unanswered.”
From Declaring a “Blockade” to Attacking Oil Tankers
The Houthis announced last Monday that they had imposed a “naval blockade” against Saudi Arabia, citing the principle of “an eye for an eye.”
The group described the move as a response to what it called Saudi Arabia’s “blockade” of Yemen over nearly the past 12 years.
In a radio broadcast directed at ships, the Houthis also warned that they would target vessels “belonging to the Saudi enemy” that failed to comply with the declared blockade.
The group also said early Thursday that it had targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia confirmed that one vessel belonging to a Saudi company had been targeted. The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official from the country’s transport authority, reported that a ship was struck while sailing in the Red Sea. Its hull sustained minor damage, but it was able to continue its voyage.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned following the Houthi attacks that Washington would hold the Iranian regime responsible for any future attacks by the group and threatened both Iran and the Houthis with “military punishment” if the attacks continued.
Houthis: We Will Not Close the Bab al-Mandab Strait
Despite declaring a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, the Houthis say they do not intend to completely halt ship traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, the Houthi spokesperson and one of the group’s senior negotiators, said on Friday, July 24, “Contrary to what some claim, Bab al-Mandab has not been closed.”
He stressed that the blockade declared by the group targets “only the Saudi side.”
The statement came after several Iranian regime military officials, during and after the 40-day war with the United States and Israel, had threatened that the Houthis might intervene on Iran’s behalf and close the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Despite the Houthis’ insistence that the strait remains open, the recent attacks have affected the behavior of shipping companies. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), at least nine ships have changed course since the blockade against Saudi Arabia was announced.
Reuters also reported that the Houthi attacks forced several oil tankers to alter their routes and head north toward the Suez Canal. To reach Asia, these vessels would have to take the much longer route around Africa.
The Red Sea’s Growing Importance Amid Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz
The escalating tensions in the Red Sea have become even more significant as oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined sharply due to the war between Iran and the United States.
To reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia transports part of its oil by pipeline to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. As a result, the Red Sea route has played an increasingly important role in the kingdom’s oil exports in recent months.
