Saudi airstrikes in Yemen as Saudi-Houthi hostilities escalate
Houthi rebels said Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes in Yemen as hostilities between Riyadh and the Iran-backed militia escalated. Saudi vowed to retaliate after the Houthis’ largest attack on the kingdom since a 2022 ceasefire, injuring 73 people and disrupting oil production.
Houthi rebels said Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes in Yemen on Wednesday, as fighting between Riyadh and the Iran-backed militia intensified. Saudi had vowed to retaliate after the Houthis carried out their biggest attack on the kingdom since a 2022 ceasefire, injuring 73 people and disrupting oil production. Riyadh is dealing with disruptions to both of its main shipping routes, in the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, while the kingdom’s oil exports fell to 13-year lows. A Middle East expert told The New York Times the Houthis see the conflict as a “golden opportunity” to alter the balance of power.
ACLED said a reduction in hostilities any time soon seems unlikely.