Tensions are rising again as Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels trade retaliatory airstrikes targeting each other's strongholds.
According to Reuters and others, the Houthi rebels said on the 25th (local time) that they attacked facilities in Jizan and Yanbu operated by Saudi state oil company Aramco with drones and missiles. Houthi Spokesperson Yahya Sarea warned, "We will further escalate military actions going forward."
The attack is seen as retaliation for Saudi Arabia's airstrike the previous day on Hodeidah, a Houthi rebel stronghold in Yemen. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia said on the 24th (local time) that it carried out a "proportional military response operation" targeting Houthi military facilities in Hodeidah, Yemen. The coalition warned, "If the Houthis continue hostile acts, we will respond without compromise."
Al Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, claimed that two people were injured in Hodeidah in the Saudi airstrike and that communications facilities and Kamaran Island were among the targets attacked.
The latest clash is an extension of the cycle of reprisals that followed the Houthis' declaration on the 20th of a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. The Houthis, claiming that Saudi Arabia was behind the bombing of Sanaa airport and declaring the end of a truce, said on the 23rd that they attacked a Saudi oil tanker.
AFP analyzed that the clash suggests the Middle East conflict, sparked by U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, is expanding into a new front, including armed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on the 25th that "the Yemen issue cannot be resolved militarily," urging diplomatic dialogue. He argued that the current situation stems from long-standing conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia and is unrelated to Iran.