RIYADH/SANAA: Yemen’s internationally recognized government has launched a new wave of airstrikes against Houthi positions, signaling a dangerous rise in tensions in a conflict that had remained relatively quiet in recent years.
On Saturday, Yemeni military officials said government air forces targeted missile and drone launch sites, as well as weapons depots, in the front-line provinces of Marib and Al-Jawf. The strikes are among the first major offensive actions by government forces against the Iran-aligned Houthi group in months, according to Arab News.
The escalation follows earlier airstrikes carried out on Friday by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen’s western Hodeidah province. Coalition officials said those strikes were a direct response to recent Houthi attacks on Saudi-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, a key global shipping route.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki described the operation as a “proportionate military response” aimed at what he called legitimate Houthi military targets. He added that the strikes had concluded and emphasized that ports in Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Salif remain open and operational.
Despite this, residents in Hodeidah reported hearing explosions near the port area. Houthi-run media said at least two civilians were injured, including a worker in the city and a woman on Kamaran Island, where a military camp was also reportedly targeted.
The Houthis condemned the strikes, calling them the start of a new phase of “escalation for escalation.” The group had earlier warned it would target Saudi vessels that failed to comply with its declared maritime restrictions. This week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi ships. Saudi authorities confirmed that one vessel, the NCC MASA, was hit in the Red Sea but suffered only minor damage and continued its journey.
The renewed violence marks the first significant exchange of fire between the Houthis and coalition-backed forces in years, raising fears that a fragile truce in place since 2022 could collapse entirely.
The timing is critical. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have become increasingly uncertain, making the Red Sea more important for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports. Recent data shows that a large share of the Kingdom’s seaborne crude shipments now pass through its Red Sea port of Yanbu, highlighting the strategic importance of securing the route.
Yemen’s long-running conflict, which began in 2014, has already caused widespread devastation and humanitarian suffering, with hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
Saudi Arabia has said it still supports efforts to reduce tensions and reach a political solution. Ambassador Mohamed AlJabir stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to peace but accused the Houthis of prolonging the conflict to serve external interests, in an apparent reference to Iran.
He also warned that continued attacks on commercial ships threaten international navigation and regional stability.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, echoed those concerns. He accused the Houthis of putting foreign agendas ahead of the Yemeni people and described the ongoing escalation as a waste of national resources.
As both sides trade accusations and military actions intensify, the risk of a broader conflict in the region appears to be growing once again.
