Houthi rebels claimed on Saturday that they carried out a missile strike on Saudi Arabia, just hours after pledging retaliation against the kingdom, as conflict across the Middle East continued to intensify.
Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Houthi military positions in Yemen’s Hodeida on Friday after the group declared a maritime blockade against the kingdom and targeted Saudi-linked vessels. Rebel media reported that two people were injured in the attacks.
The latest escalation opens another front in the regional conflict that has expanded since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. It also comes as Iran continues its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the Red Sea as Saudi Arabia’s only remaining maritime export route.
The Houthis had accused Riyadh of a “dangerous escalation” and warned that its actions “will not go unanswered”.
In a Telegram post early Saturday, the Houthis’ Ansarollah media outlet claimed a “Yemeni missile strike” had ignited fires in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jizan.
Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the claim. However, the kingdom’s civil defence agency briefly issued warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu over a “potential danger” before lifting them minutes later. Similar alerts have previously been issued during missile or drone attacks.
The warnings followed Friday’s announcement by the Saudi-led coalition that it had struck Houthi positions and destroyed targets threatening commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
A Yemeni security source told AFP that a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran Island were among the sites targeted by Saudi forces.
Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi ships, with Riyadh confirming one of the incidents in the Red Sea.
Houthi blockade
According to the Yemeni security source, Saudi strikes also hit a telecommunications building near Hodeida port and a naval base at Ras al-Kathib.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported that two people were wounded — a worker in Hodeida and a woman on Kamaran Island — and confirmed that the telecom building had been struck.
On Monday, the group had warned in a radio broadcast that it would target vessels “belonging to (the) Saudi enemy” that failed to comply with its blockade.
Saudi state media quoted a transport authority official as saying “the vessel (NCC MASA), belonging to a Saudi company, was targeted while sailing in the Red Sea today … resulting in minor damage to the vessel’s hull”.
Authorities said the vessel continued its journey after the attack.
With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted, Red Sea access has become increasingly important for Saudi oil exports.
Trump signals restraint
The latest developments came after US President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided to launch a major military operation against Iran, citing ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
“No I haven’t,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office when asked whether he had approved broader military action.
“Look, we’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason.”
Trump said Iran still faced a choice between reaching an agreement or enduring a “much higher level” of strikes, following nearly two weeks of US attacks that have undermined an earlier ceasefire.
The conflict, which Trump had previously predicted would last only four or five weeks, is now approaching its fifth month and has reportedly affected his approval ratings ahead of November’s US midterm elections.
He added that he could not identify the “tipping point” for a decision on broader military action but reiterated that Washington’s red line remained Iran nearing the development of a nuclear weapon.
The United States says its military campaign aims to prevent Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded by targeting US military bases, attacks that have killed four American service members.
Iran’s military said on Friday it had launched attacks against US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they had struck an Amazon data center in Bahrain, according to state media. Neither Amazon nor Bahraini authorities have confirmed the claim, and the United States has not acknowledged any attacks on its personnel or facilities.
Bahrain’s interior ministry said air raid sirens sounded again early Saturday and urged residents to seek shelter.
