Saudi warplanes reportedly carry out airstrikes in Yemen

Yemen’s Houthi rebels reported dozens of Saudi airstrikes on Wednesday, as the conflict that has resurfaced in the Middle East continues with hundreds of people killed in clashes near the Red Sea. Over 40 attacks were carried out in several regions, including the volatile areas of Taiz and Hodeida, where intense battles have taken place between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition government.

The latest attacks follow the Houthis setting oil sites ablaze and injuring 73 individuals in their heaviest missile and drone assault against Saudi Arabia in years. The Yemen conflict is unfolding amid the broader Middle East war, which began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Iran retaliated by attacking 20 American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and targeting a US military base in Jordan in response to US strikes on Iranian oil tankers.

This Middle East war has engulfed Yemen, the energy-rich Gulf, and other regions, disrupting the global economy as oil prices climbed back to $100 a barrel. Since the Houthis launched a major offensive last week to seize control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, a critical gateway to the Red Sea shipping route, over 500 people have died in the fighting.

The rebels, who have also been targeting Saudi oil tankers, are attempting to intensify their pressure on these shipments, which analysts believe are essential for exports following the closure of the Hormuz Strait. The Saudi civil defense issued a warning for the southern governorate of Khamis Mushait, but later lifted it. On Tuesday, the Saudi authorities declared they would retaliate against the Houthi attacks, which caused fires and temporary shutdowns at oil sites.

The Houthis reignited hostilities in July when they allowed an Iranian plane to land, defying Saudi control of Yemeni airspace. The ongoing skirmishes could revive the conflict that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The Houthis, after taking over Yemen’s capital and displacing the internationally recognized government, fought a Saudi-led coalition from 2015 until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022.

The European Union urged the Houthis to cease their attacks, labeling them a “dangerous escalation” and calling for an immediate end to all hostilities, including attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.