Missiles hit Yemen's Aden airport as Saudi-led coalition intercepts missile headed for Yanbu

Missiles targeted Aden International Airport in southern Yemen on Friday, while a Saudi-led military coalition announced it had successfully intercepted a ballistic missile en route for Yanbu, a crucial Saudi oil hub. This facilitates oil exports to global markets by bypassing the Red Sea's Strait of Hormuz, which has witnessed escalating tensions and security concerns.

The coalition also reported the destruction of two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones in Saudi Arabia's Southern and Riyadh regions, though they did not reveal the perpetrators.

Two missiles impacted the airport grounds in Aden, as per the Aden Security Department, attributing the incident to the Iran-backed Houthi group. This marked the second attack on the facility within a week, with no reported casualties. A Yemenia Airways flight bound for Cairo was in the process of takeoff when the missiles struck.

Yanbu plays a pivotal role in Saudi oil exports, enabling the nation to transport crude to international markets via the Red Sea without navigating the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude briefly surged to $110 a barrel on Friday, marking its first instance since May, driven by apprehensions over intensifying Middle East tensions and global supply tightness.

Civil Defense authorities in Saudi Arabia had previously issued alerts in the Jazan region and the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait, areas frequently on guard due to the ongoing conflict since its resurgence last month. The Houthi attacks have heightened fears of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen. International aid agencies have sounded the alarm on rapidly deteriorating conditions.

The Yemen conflict has emerged as a battleground in the broader regional war that commenced in February with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The Yemeni war began in 2014 when the Houthis overtook the capital Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognized government, pushing it south. A Saudi-led intervention ensued, resulting in years of stalemate until a truce in 2022, which endured until recent times.

The Houthis have persistently launched missile and drone strikes against Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities, and other infrastructure, including recent attacks on Aden airport and the presidential palace in Yemen's interim capital. A spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry reported on Friday that 124 civilians were killed and 327 wounded due to what they termed "Saudi aggression" since the escalation's onset on September 3.