Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Hudaida, Yemen

Retaliation after ship attack

A Saudi-led military coalition launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen's western Hudaida province overnight, officials said, in retaliation for an attack on a Saudi-flagged commercial ship in the Red Sea. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated the strikes targeted "legitimate military targets" linked to threats against shipping, calling the Houthi assault on the vessel "maritime terrorism". The ship, identified as the NCC Masa, suffered light damage to its hull but was able to resume its journey, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, citing a transport authority source.

“The completed military action was proportionate and achieved its objectives.”

Earlier this week, the Iran-backed Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-flagged vessels. The move followed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint through which roughly a fifth of global oil passes, as Iran and the United States escalated their military confrontation. Saudi Arabia had redirected oil exports through the Bab al-Mandab strait in the southern Red Sea, putting those shipments directly in the Houthis' line of fire.

Strikes on Hudaida

Houthi-affiliated media outlets reported that the airstrikes struck the state telecommunications company in the port city of Hudaida and Kamaran island, a strategic site off the coast. Reports also claimed attacks near the port itself, though al-Maliki insisted the facility was not targeted. Residents described multiple explosions and large fires near the harbour, with thick black smoke visible across the city, German news agency dpa reported. Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-run channel, branded the operation "Saudi aggression".

“The strikes were described as Saudi aggression.”

The coalition said its targets were specifically those used by the Houthis to threaten maritime traffic. The Red Sea corridor, connecting the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, is a critical route for global container shipping and energy supplies. The coalition asserted the operation had already concluded and met its intended objectives without escalation.

Casualties and ceasefire violation

Houthi media said a woman and a man were injured in the strikes. This is the first coalition attack on Hudaida since a 2022 ceasefire that largely halted major combat operations in Yemen's devastating civil war, although low-level clashes have persisted. The conflict erupted in 2014 when Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, seized the capital Sanaa and overran much of the country, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention to support the internationally recognized government.

A widening regional war

The Saudi-led retaliation adds a fresh flashpoint to a conflict already spreading beyond the Iran-US theatre. EU foreign ministers, meeting the same day, approved sanctions against Iranian judges. Meanwhile, reports emerged that Bahrain and Kuwait had conducted their own retaliatory strikes against Iran. The Bab al-Mandab and Red Sea are now potential arenas of proxy warfare, as Houthis and coalition forces exchange fire over shipping routes. The strikes raise the risk of further disruption to global energy markets, which have been roiled by the Hormuz closure and subsequent rerouting of tankers.