'Undermined regional security': India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

India has condemned the reported Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly strikes on civilian and economic infrastructure, warning that they threaten regional security and stability.

India on Wednesday condemned the reported Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, particularly those targeting civilian and economic infrastructure, calling such strikes unacceptable and warning that they posed a threat to regional security and stability.

India on Wednesday condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes undermine regional security and pose a threat to freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The remarks by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal marked India’s first official response since the Houthis said on Tuesday that they had targeted energy facilities belonging to oil giant Saudi Aramco in southern Saudi Arabia as part of a “broad operation”. Saudi authorities said the attacks sparked fires at several oil installations and utility sites, injuring 73 people.

Referring to the Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, Jaiswal said India “condemned the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities”.

He said such attacks that “undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb were unacceptable”.

Southern Saudi Arabia is home to key energy infrastructure, including the Jizan refinery, which has the capacity to process 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The strategic importance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait for Saudi energy exports has increased following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.  

Despite India’s increased purchases of Russian oil, Saudi Arabia continues to rank among the country’s top three energy suppliers.  

Fighting between Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and pro-Saudi forces in Yemen has intensified sharply in recent days. The escalation is being described as the most serious since a UN-brokered ceasefire brought an end to widespread fighting in 2022, following eight years of full-scale conflict.  

A key focus for the Houthis is the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The group announced a blockade of Saudi shipping in July and subsequently began advancing towards government-controlled areas near the Bab al-Mandeb.

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased Saudi Arabia’s dependence on the Red Sea route for its oil exports. Between March and July, Saudi seaborne crude shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb were eight times higher than those recorded during the same period in 2025.

Pakistan and Turkiye have also condemned the Houthi attacks. Both countries recently signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia.  

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