Houthis Fire Missiles At Saudi Arabia In Response To Airstrikes In Yemen
CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels The Saudis have fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in response to airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida, the Saudis said on Saturday, amid rising tensions over vital shipping routes in the Middle East. USA and Iran Compete for control Strait of Hormuz.
Brig. The attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan owned by Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, Houthis’ military spokesman Gen. Yahya Saree said in a pre-recorded statement.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense said the warnings were heard multiple times in both cities early Saturday, but the kingdom had no further comment.
No attacks were reported in Iran overnight; This comes after a break of almost two weeks. consecutive US attacks.
Tensions in the Red Sea further threaten global shipping
Houthis say they will close Bab al-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-related shipping in retaliation The Kingdom’s blockade of Yemen and last attack at the international airport in Sanaa, Yemen’s rebel-held capital.
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council that governs rebel-held areas in Yemen, said about what should be done to prevent the Houthis from blockading Bab-al-Mandeb: “There is nothing but ending the aggression and lifting the blockade, otherwise everything is illusion and mirage.”
This strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. About 12% of world trade passes through narrow passages, including a quarter of container traffic.
The Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea this week. Saudi Arabia struck Hodeida in response, the Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels said on Saturday. Anes al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-controlled health ministry, said the port and the state-run telecommunications agency were hit and two people were injured in the attacks late Friday.
The Saudi-led coalition said it did not hit the port but hit “legitimate military targets” in Hodeida province “related to threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.”
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi called for “diplomacy and dialogue” to resolve the Yemen conflict without “military conflicts” in an interview published by state newspaper Iran on Saturday.
Iran condemns Ukraine’s attack on commercial ship
“Iran had a peaceful night,” Iranian Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on X.
U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike the previous 13 nights, no new strikes were announced.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry condemned Saturday’s attack by Ukraine on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea, saying one person was killed and another was injured, describing it as an act of aggression. In a separate statement, Araghchi said he had spoken about the issue with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and that Tehran wanted a response.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously said on
As mediation efforts between the United States and Iran continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Friday that he plans to travel to the United States next week and meet President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday. They last met in Washington in February. started the war.
More than 7 thousand people were killed, including in Lebanon
A weak ceasefire The problem, which has halted major operations for weeks, appears to have been resolved this month. USA blames Iran hit three ships Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz were responded to by striking dozens of targets in Iran, which in turn retaliated by firing on US-allied Gulf Arab states.
The US military renewed the blockade of Iranian ports. of Iran Revolutionary Guards He advised residents of neighboring countries to stay away from bases where US troops are located.
War in Iran has killed more than 3,400 people, according to the Ministry of Health. It was reported that 18 US soldiers were killed throughout the region, 24 civilians in Israel and a smaller number of civilians, including foreign workers and sailors.
in Lebanon, More than 4,000 people were killed Because Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants opened fire on Israel in support of the Islamic Republic two days after the start of the war, and Israel responded with attacks and ground forces. Thirty-eight Israeli soldiers also died.
Dell’Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporter Cara Anna in Lowville, New York, contributed to this report.
