Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. This attack was carried out in response to Saudi Arabia’s air strikes on the important city of Hodeidah on the Red Sea. This has increased tensions over essential shipping routes in the Middle East, while America and Iran are facing each other for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sarri said in a pre-recorded statement that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan, which are owned by Aramco, the world’s largest oil company.
No news of any attack in Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense Department said that alerts were sounded several times in both cities in the early hours of Saturday, but the Saudi government did not comment further. There were no reports of attacks in Iran overnight, which marks a pause in the series of US attacks that have been happening continuously for the past two weeks.
Global shipping faces further threat due to increasing tension in the Red Sea
The Houthis have said they will close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait to ships bound for Saudi Arabia. This step is being taken in response to Saudi Arabia’s blockade on Yemen and the recent attack on the international airport of Yemen’s capital Sanaa (which is under the control of rebels).
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council, which runs the rebel-held areas of Yemen, said that there is no other way to stop the blockade of Bab-al-Mandeb other than ending the aggression and lifting the blockade, otherwise everything else is an illusion and a mirage.
Located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, this strait is an important shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. About 12 percent of the world’s trade, including a quarter of container traffic, passes through this narrow passage.
Two oil tankers of Saudi Arabia were targeted
This week the Houthis targeted two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea. In response, Saudi Arabia attacked Hodeida. The Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels gave this information on Saturday. Houthi-run health ministry spokesman Anis al-Asbahi said the attacks late Friday targeted the port and the state telecommunications corporation, wounding two people.
The Saudi-led coalition said it did not attack the port but instead targeted legitimate military targets in Hodeida province, linked to threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview published in the state newspaper ‘Iran’ on Saturday that diplomacy and dialogue are needed to resolve the Yemen conflict without military conflict.
Iran condemns Ukrainian attack on commercial ship
Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour posted on X, “The night passed peacefully in Iran.” US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike the previous 13 nights, they did not announce any new attacks. But Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea. The ministry said one person was killed and another was injured, calling it an act of aggression.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on While mediation efforts between the US and Iran continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to visit the US next week and meet President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday.
His office gave this information on Friday. They last met in Washington in February, a few weeks before the war began. More than 7,000 people have been killed, including in Lebanon.
Accused of attack on three ships in Hormuz Strait
A weak ceasefire that stopped major operations for weeks appears to be breaking this month. The US accused Iran of attacking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and responded by attacking several targets in Iran. In response, Iran attacked America’s allies, the Gulf Arab countries. The US military has resumed the blockade of Iran’s ports. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has advised people of neighboring countries to stay away from bases with American troops.
More than 3400 people died in Iran
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, more than 3,400 people have died in this war. 18 US Army soldiers, 24 civilians in Israel and some other civilians including foreign workers and sailors have also been killed in the entire area. More than 4000 people have died in Lebanon. This came two days after the war began when Iran-backed Hezbollah militants attacked Israel in support of the Islamic Republic, and Israel responded with airstrikes and ground troops. 38 Israeli soldiers have also been killed.
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