Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi city after kingdom strikes Yemen targets
Iran-backed group says Jizan attack was retaliation as renewed exchanges raise fears of a return to full-scale fighting
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saturday they had fired a missile at the southern Saudi city of Jizan, retaliating for Saudi strikes on Houthi military sites a day earlier.
The Saudi-led coalition said Friday’s operation targeted positions threatening commercial shipping after the Iran-backed group declared a naval blockade of the kingdom and attacked Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
The renewed exchanges have raised fears that Yemen’s long-dormant conflict could resume. Houthi and Yemeni government forces have reportedly reinforced positions along front lines stretching from the Red Sea coast to the Saudi border.
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Saudi Arabia had largely avoided direct confrontation with the Houthis since a 2022 truce halted years of fighting. Recent attacks on a Saudi airport, tankers and other infrastructure, however, have increased pressure on Riyadh to respond.
UN and regional mediation efforts are continuing, though diplomats and analysts have expressed growing pessimism that the escalation can be contained.