U.S. military goes silent on Iran airstrikes while Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia exchange attacks
Houthi rebels have launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabian oil facilities in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. The escalation threatens global shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint for international trade.
Why it matters
Disruptions in the Red Sea shipping lanes could significantly impact global supply chains and energy prices, further destabilizing the Middle East.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Saturday 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 the Middle East 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 defense said alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday in both cities, but the Kingdom hasn’t commented further.
There were no reported strikes overnight in Iran, in an apparent break from nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of U.S. attacks , though tension remains high following a recent escalation between the two countries over the Strait of Hormuz.
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