Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure Saturday, targeting facilities belonging to Aramco, the world's largest oil company, in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan. The escalation threatens shipping routes that carry 12% of global trade and a quarter of the world's container traffic through the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, said in a prerecorded statement the attack came in response to Saudi airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida. Saudi Arabia's civil defense confirmed alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday in both cities, though the kingdom didn't comment further on damage or casualties.
Energy Infrastructure Under Fire
The targeting of Aramco facilities underscores the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure to regional conflict. The Houthis have explicitly threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom's blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa.
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council governing rebel-controlled territories in Yemen, dismissed prospects for de-escalation. "Nothing short of ending the aggression and lifting the blockade, otherwise, it's all illusion and mirage," he said when asked what conditions would prevent a Houthi blockade of the Bab-El-Mandeb.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world's trade passes through the narrows.
Coalition Strikes Hodeida After Tanker Attacks
The Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea this week. The Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels struck Hodeida late Friday in response. The strikes hit the port and the state-run telecommunications corporation, injuring two people, said Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry.
The Saudi-led coalition said it didn't hit the port but struck "legitimate military targets" in Hodeida province that "were linked to threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea."
Pause in U.S.-Iran Strikes
There were no reported strikes overnight in Iran, marking an apparent break from nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of U.S. attacks. Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for Iran's Health Ministry, posted on X, "Iran had a peaceful night." U.S. Central Command didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike the previous 13 nights, it didn't announce new strikes.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called for "diplomacy and dialogue" to solve the Yemen conflict without "military confrontations" in an interview published Saturday by the state-run newspaper called Iran.
Caspian Sea Incident Adds Complexity
Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called a Ukrainian attack Saturday on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying one person was killed and another was hurt and calling it an act of aggression. In a separate statement, Araghchi said he spoke with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about it and that Tehran demanded a response. Ukraine's diplomatic representative to Iran was summoned, Iranian state media reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said on X that Ukraine "achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea — including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran."
Netanyahu to Meet Trump
While efforts at mediation between the U.S. and Iran continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States next week and meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, his office said Friday. They last met in Washington in February, weeks before they launched the war.
A tenuous ceasefire that halted major operations for weeks has seemed to unravel this month. The U.S. accused Iran of striking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and responded by striking dozens of targets in Iran, which retaliated by firing at U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states. The U.S. military has renewed its blockade of Iran's ports. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has advised residents of neighboring countries to stay away from bases with U.S. troops.
Regional Death Toll Mounts
The war has killed more than 3,400 people in Iran, according to its Health Ministry. Eighteen U.S. service members, 24 civilians in Israel and smaller numbers of civilians including foreign workers and mariners have been reportedly killed across the region. In Lebanon, more than 4,000 people have been killed since Iran-backed Hezbollah militants fired at Israel in support of the Islamic Republic two days after the war began and Israel responded with strikes and ground forces. Thirty-eight Israeli troops have also died.
Why This Matters:
The Houthi threat to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait poses direct risks to global commerce and energy markets. Twelve percent of world trade flows through this chokepoint, and any sustained disruption would drive up shipping costs and insurance premiums worldwide. The targeting of Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure demonstrates how regional conflicts can instantly threaten energy supplies that underpin economic stability across continents. Iran's continued backing of the Houthis extends Tehran's influence over critical maritime routes, challenging freedom of navigation principles that have enabled decades of global trade growth. The pause in U.S. strikes on Iran may signal diplomatic progress, but the expanding conflict in Yemen shows how proxy forces can sustain instability even as major powers seek de-escalation. Netanyahu's upcoming meeting with Trump will test whether U.S. leadership can broker arrangements that protect commercial shipping while addressing legitimate security concerns of regional allies.