From the Guardian · Guardian staff and agencies · · 2m
Houthis strike a Saudi base as Yemen's war reignites
A dormant civil war roared back, and now it is reaching into Saudi Arabia and the shipping lanes that carry its oil.
In brief
A dormant civil war roared back, and now it is reaching into Saudi Arabia and the shipping lanes that carry its oil. With Hormuz blockaded and Bab al-Mandab in Houthi hands, Saudi Arabia's two main routes for moving oil by sea are both under threat at once. Originally reported by the Guardian.
Drones hit a Saudi base
Houthi fighters said they struck the Sharurah base in southern Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles, targeting what they called weapons depots and command centres. They gave no date for the operation.
“weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people”
Yemen's forces hit back
Government forces said they struck Houthi positions in the Red Sea city of Mocha on Saturday, then ran three airstrikes on barracks in the Taiz region. The Houthis counted 129 Saudi airstrikes in 48 hours.
A war that restarted
Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis took Sana'a. A 2022 ceasefire held it quiet until July, when fighting resumed. More than 500 people have been killed since.
The coast is theirs now
A week-long offensive gave the Houthis the rest of Yemen's Red Sea coast and several strategic islands, locking in control of the Bab al-Mandab strait at the sea's southern entrance.
Both oil routes squeezed
Bab al-Mandab became Saudi Arabia's main sea route for oil after Iran's Hormuz blockade cut off Gulf shipments. The Houthis have now declared their own blockade of Riyadh's Red Sea ports.
Ships under fire at Hormuz
An Iranian commercial vessel was struck off Qeshm Island, killing one and wounding three. UKMTO reported a projectile hitting another ship in the strait, crew status unknown.
Trump says no to strikes
Axios reported that Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice last week asking for strikes on the Houthis and was turned down. Trump said the Houthis had called too, and don't want to fight the US.
“everything's gonna work out fine and dandy”
76,000 people displaced
The UN migration agency says 76,000 have fled since July, four times last week's count. Mocha's fall on Thursday pushed residents toward Aden, and about 1,400 crossed to Djibouti.
What matters most
With Hormuz blockaded and Bab al-Mandab in Houthi hands, Saudi Arabia's two main routes for moving oil by sea are both under threat at once.
