Saudi Strikes Target Houthi Military Assets Amid Rising Red-Sea Tensions

Saudi Arabia has intensified air strikes against positions held by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, focusing on sites the coalition says are used to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The operation follows a Houthi declaration of a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia, which the militia warned could disrupt the kingdom’s oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

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The Houthi movement, designated a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia, has repeatedly targeted vessels traversing the Red Sea, prompting the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen to intervene. The latest escalation coincides with a broader U.S. campaign of air strikes against Iran, marking more than a dozen consecutive nights of attacks aimed at curbing Tehran’s regional influence.

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Major General Turki Al-Malki, the coalition’s spokesperson, asserted that the Saudi strikes were directed solely at legitimate military targets employed by the Houthis to threaten commercial traffic. He condemned the militia’s recent attacks on merchant ships as “reckless and cowardly.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, warned that any further Houthi aggression would lead the United States to hold Iran accountable, describing the Houthis as a proxy of Tehran and indicating that “major military punishment” could be inflicted on both Iran and the militia.

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U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins reported that American forces disabled the merchant vessel M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach a naval blockade on multiple occasions.

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Greek security sources, cited by Reuters, said Saudi air-defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward the Yanbu oil-refinery complex on the Red Sea coast. Saudi Civil Defence issued warnings for the area, later confirming that the threat had passed and reporting no immediate damage.

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The heightened military activity raises the risk of a broader confrontation involving Saudi Arabia, the United States, Iran, and the Houthi militia. Simultaneously, Pakistani officials are reportedly exploring ways to revive stalled U.S.–Iran peace talks, suggesting diplomatic channels remain active despite the escalating hostilities.

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