Houthis attack Saudi Arabia in retaliation for Saudi hits
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJuly 25 (UPI) -- The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced Saturday that they had attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones in retaliation for Saudi attacks on Hodeida, Yemen.
Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the group's spokesperson, posted on X that the Houthis launched two military operations "in response to this blatant and criminal aggression" from Saudi Arabia.
"The first targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Jizan with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones," he said. "And the second operation targeted sensitive Aramco-affiliated facilities in Yanbu with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones."
Aramco is the Saudi Arabian state-owned oil company.
"Both operations successfully achieved their objectives thanks to Allah Almighty, with accurate and direct strikes," Saree said.
But the Saudis claim that the attacks were intercepted by air defense systems operated by Greek military units.
It's the latest escalation between the two countries. On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for two attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones. They have said they have blocked the Bab al-Mandab Strait. That strait is on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz. It's the gateway between the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, and blockades of both straits would cut off Saudi Arabian ships entirely.
The Saudis and the Houthis have been in an effective cease-fire since 2022. But tensions recently flared when the Houthis accused the Saudis of striking the airport in Yemen's capital Sanaa. The spat came from a dispute when an Iranian plane had tried to land at the airport.
Saudi Arabia on Friday hit the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida with strikes, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. The attacks were in response to the Houthi hits on oil tankers.
"The Saudi enemy's targeting of civilian facilities in Hodeida and Kamaran Island constitutes a dangerous escalation," the Houthis' Ansarollah media posted on Telegram.
"We affirm that these recent crimes will not go unanswered," the post said.
Al Masirah television, which is run by the Houthis, said Saturday that the strikes from Saudi Arabia targeted facilities that belong to the state telecommunications corporation and Kamaran Island. It said one worker in Hodeida was injured, and a woman was injured on the island, Deutsche Welle reported.
The Saudis said they would do whatever is necessary to protect their ships. They warned the Houthis that if they continued "hostile acts, then there will be no hesitation in responding."
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said his administration would "hold Iran responsible" for any Houthi attacks on ships, The Hill reported.
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart," Trump said in a Truth Social post.