Houthis Fire Missile Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jizan After Saudi Strikes on Hodeida

Hodeida, Jizan, and retaliation

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis claimed a missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s southern city of Jizan after Riyadh launched strikes on targets linked to the group in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida and a nearby island on Friday.

The BBC reported that the Houthis’ Ansarollah media said on Telegram that a "Yemeni missile strike" caused fires in Jizan, while Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts for the province.

DW said the Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi-held Hodeida, and the coalition described the operation as targeting "military" sites while saying "All ports in the governorate remain open to shipping."

In Washington, the BBC said Trump continued to threaten further attacks while saying negotiations were continuing, and it quoted him: "We are talking to them. I think they're being serious."

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US, Greece, and Pakistan

While the Houthis and Saudi Arabia traded strikes, the BBC said there were no overnight reports of air strikes in the wider region by the US or Iran for the first time in two weeks, and it noted the US military did not announce fresh strikes on Iran on Saturday. The Detroit News reported that Houthis fired on Saudi oil installations in two ports on the Red Sea coast on Saturday, while the U.S. held back from launching air strikes on Iran for the first night in two weeks.

DW said Reuters cited Greek security sources that an air defense system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen targeting oil refineries in Yanbu. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Pakistan warned it would regard any aggressive actions toward Pakistan-flagged vessels or maritime interests as a "grave threat" that may result in "lawful use of force."

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Aramco targets and wider risk

Houthi retaliation escalated into direct attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, with the Washington Post saying the group claimed responsibility for attacks on Aramco facilities in the Red Sea towns of Yanbu and Jazan.

The Hill quoted Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree saying the Houthis executed two military operations "in response to this blatant and criminal aggression" from Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jizan and Yanbu.

The Guardian said Iran-backed Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea last week after the kingdom struck the airport in Sana’a, and it reported that the Houthis said the attacks were a "dangerous escalation."

Looking ahead, the BBC said the US and UK are set to hold a conference in London next week to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine attending, as tensions tied to Yemen’s Houthis and regional shipping continued to rise.

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