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WASHINGTON — The widening US war with Iran spilled into another flashpoint Saturday as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi terrorists traded airstrikes, raising fears that fighting is spreading into another critical shipping corridor.
The latest escalation comes just days after the Iran-backed Houthis attacked several Saudi commercial vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden that carries roughly 5% of global maritime trade.
The Houthis claimed they struck two Saudi Arabian oil facilities Saturday, announcing they launched dozens of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at Saudi state-owned energy giant Aramco’s facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan.
“The operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks be to God,” Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a prerecorded statement.
“We confirm the blockade on the Saudi enemy is still ongoing in response to their aggression,” he added.
The Yemeni Armed Forces — which operates under the Houthis’ de facto control — separately announced what it described as “two qualitative military operations targeting sensitive Aramco facilities in Jizan and Yanbu.”
The Houthis said the barrage was retaliation for Saudi airstrikes Friday on Hodeidah and Karaman Island. Saudi Arabia targeted several sites, including naval targets.
The Kingdom had not publicly confirmed strikes on the Aramco facilities as of Saturday morning.
The exchange has fueled concerns that the regional conflict is expanding beyond direct fighting between the US and Iran, threatening vital energy infrastructure and international shipping lanes.
Former Pentagon official and Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas warned that Saudi Arabia appears poised to dramatically escalate its campaign against the Iranian-backed militants.
“Regional sources tell me a Houthi attack on Yanbu was expected and Saudi Arabia has green lit a massive, lengthy operation against the Houthis after coordinating with regional and western allies which will include Saudi air power and Yemeni government forces,” Plitsas said in a Saturday post to X.
The developments underscore growing fears that Iran’s regional proxy network is opening additional fronts as tensions across the Middle East continue to intensify.
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