Houthis fire missiles, drones at Saudi Arabia in response to strikes on Yemeni city
Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabian oil facilities in retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. This escalation threatens global shipping routes in the Red Sea, specifically the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Why it matters
The conflict risks disrupting a critical global trade chokepoint, potentially impacting 12% of global trade and energy supply chains.
Yemen's Iran -backed Houthi rebels said Saturday (July 25, 2026) that they fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to Saudi airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida, in another escalation over vital shipping routes in West Asia, while the United States and Iran vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz .
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, said in a prerecorded statement that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan that belong to Aramco, the world's largest oil company.
Saudi Arabia's civil defence said alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday (July 25) in both cities, but the Kingdom hasn't commented further.
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