Houthis target Saudi Arabia with missiles, drones

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, adding to growing regional tensions as diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz face delays.

Yemeni officials said the Houthis have also strengthened their positions along the country’s western coastline on the Red Sea following a rapid advance in recent days. The developments have raised concerns that the wider Middle East conflict could intensify and further disrupt global energy supplies.

The Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia. The group claimed the strikes targeted aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.

Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in Khamis Mushait and three other southern cities. The Saudi-led coalition said 13 civilians were wounded in the Houthi attacks.

The latest escalation has increased pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. An aerial attack last week reportedly knocked the kingdom’s east-west oil pipeline offline. Riyadh blamed Iranian-backed militias in Iraq for that attack.

The 1,200-kilometre pipeline was built to provide Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for transporting crude to the Red Sea and reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz during periods of regional instability.

Oil traders have warned that a prolonged disruption to the Saudi pipeline could affect up to 4% of global oil supplies while shipping through Hormuz remains heavily restricted. Saudi authorities have not announced when the pipeline will return to normal operations.

In response to the Houthi offensive, Saudi and Yemeni government forces have increased airstrikes against Houthi positions, including areas around the Red Sea port of Mocha. However, officials from Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the Houthis continue to hold effective control over most of the western coastline.

The renewed fighting has created another challenge for US President Donald Trump. According to sources, Washington has so far resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention, limiting its assistance primarily to intelligence support.

Trump said he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and claimed that the Houthis had also contacted Washington, asking the United States to remain outside the conflict.

Saudi state media reported that the crown prince met US regional commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition against the Houthis since 2015. Fighting had significantly declined in recent years following a ceasefire, but the conflict has intensified again this month after Houthi forces made advances against fighters aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

At the same time, hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough over the Strait of Hormuz have weakened.

Oman was scheduled to host talks involving Iran and Gulf Arab states aimed at finding a way to reopen the strategically important waterway. The meeting was postponed, with Iran saying the delay came at Saudi Arabia’s request.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors and previously handled around 20% of global oil exports. Its continued disruption has raised concerns about energy prices and international supplies.

Trump again claimed that Iran was interested in reaching a rapid agreement with the United States. Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei rejected the message, saying Tehran would not negotiate until its conditions were met.

The situation has also been complicated by conflicting reports surrounding damage to an oil tanker near Hormuz.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed that the Panama-flagged tanker El Gaia had been struck by sea mines after entering a prohibited area south of the strait. The US Central Command rejected that account, saying the vessel had been hit by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable.

The International Maritime Organization confirmed that the tanker was damaged on Saturday but did not establish how the incident occurred. It also reported that two crew members were missing.

The competing accounts could not immediately be independently verified.

The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed to normal oil shipping since the conflict began on February 28. Iran has warned vessels against passing through the waterway without its authorisation, while the Revolutionary Guards have said the strait remains under their control.