Conflict & Security
Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Arabia as wider fighting spreads
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack on Saudi Arabia on Saturday, as fighting involving regional allies of the United States and Iran widened.
Houthi media said the rebels targeted Jizan, a Saudi city on the Red Sea. Saudi civil defence issued warnings in Jizan, on the kingdom's southwest coast, and in Yanbu farther north. Ansarollah media said on Telegram that the strike caused fires in Jizan. A video verified by AFP showed dark clouds rising above an Aramco refinery in the city.
The Houthis earlier accused Saudi Arabia, a US ally, of a dangerous escalation after Riyadh struck Houthi targets on Friday. A Yemeni security source said the Saudi strikes included a naval base in the port city of Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran Island. Faiza, a 36-year-old mother of two in Hodeida, said she heard three explosions and compared the sound to loud thunder.
The exchange came after US and Israeli strikes on Iran at the end of February. The Houthis have fought Yemen's internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused a major humanitarian crisis. Fighting in Yemen had been largely frozen since a UN-negotiated truce in 2022.
This week the Houthis announced what they described as a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the top oil producer, and hit Saudi tankers in the Red Sea. The report said that threat to shipping has come alongside Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a central flashpoint between Tehran and Washington. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitor reported a fresh incident on Saturday near the Strait of Hormuz involving a tanker and unspecified military forces.
On Saturday, the United States did not announce strikes on Iran for the first time after 13 consecutive nights of bombardments. US President Donald Trump said he had not decided whether to launch larger strikes on Iran because, in his view, Tehran was becoming more serious in talks with Washington. He said Iran had a choice between making a deal or facing a much higher level of strikes, and said his red line would be Iran nearing development of a nuclear weapon.
The United States says its strikes are meant to stop Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with strikes on US bases that have killed four service members. Iran's military said Friday that it attacked US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said, according to state media, that they targeted an Amazon data centre in Bahrain. Amazon and Bahrain did not comment on that claim, and the United States did not confirm any targeting of its facilities or personnel.
Update
A video verified by AFP showed dark clouds above an Aramco refinery in Jizan.
A Yemeni security source said Saudi targets on Friday included a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran Island.
A Hodeida resident described hearing three explosions during the strikes.
The source says Houthi fighting in Yemen had been largely frozen since a UN-negotiated truce in 2022.
The Houthis said this week they had announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and hit Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
UKMTO reported a fresh incident near the Strait of Hormuz involving a tanker and unspecified military forces.
The United States did not announce strikes on Iran on Saturday after 13 nights of consecutive bombardments.
Iranian military and Revolutionary Guards claims about attacks on US-linked targets were included, with no confirmation from the United States, Amazon or Bahrain.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 11:10:35 UTC.
Update
Houthi media said the rebels targeted Jizan on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.
Saudi civil defence issued warnings in Jizan and Yanbu.
Ansarollah media said the strike caused fires, and a social media video verified by AFP showed dark clouds above a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jizan.
A Yemeni security source said Saudi strikes hit a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island.
A Hodeida resident described hearing three explosions.
The source says the United States did not announce strikes on Iran on Saturday for the first time after 13 nights of bombardments.
Trump said he had not decided whether to launch major strikes on Iran and said talks with Tehran were becoming more serious.
Iran's military said it had targeted US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted an Amazon data centre in Bahrain, with no confirmation from the United States, Amazon or Bahrain.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 09:28:25 UTC.
Update
US President Donald Trump said he had not decided whether to launch major strikes on Iran and said talks with Tehran were becoming more serious.
The US military broke a run of daily announcements of new strikes on Iran after 13 consecutive nights of attacks on military targets there.
The Houthis accused Riyadh of a dangerous escalation after Saudi Arabia struck Houthi military targets on Friday.
Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency issued brief warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu early Saturday.
A Yemeni security source told AFP that a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island were among Saudi targets.
Iran's military said Friday it had targeted US military assets in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, and the Revolutionary Guards claimed an attack on an Amazon data center in Bahrain, without confirmation from the United States, Amazon or Bahrain.
Trump said he trusted statements from the Chinese and Russian presidents that they were not arming Iran.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Kyrgyzstan and called for resumed negotiations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 05:15:40 UTC.
Update
Houthi media said the claimed missile strike caused fires in Jizan.
Saudi Arabia had not immediately commented on the Houthi claim.
Saudi civil defence issued brief warnings for Jizan and Yanbu early Saturday and lifted them minutes later.
A Yemeni security source said Saudi strikes targeted a telecommunications building near Hodeida's port and a naval base at Ras al-Kathib, and that a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island were among the targets.
Saudi state media said the Saudi-linked vessel NCC MASA suffered minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack and resumed its course.
Kpler data cited in the source said all Saudi seaborne crude exports left from Yanbu in April and May, 92 percent in June and 78 percent so far in July.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 04:20:21 UTC.
Update
Ansarollah media said fires had broken out in Jizan after what it called a Yemeni missile attack.
Saudi civil defence warnings for Jizan and Yanbu were lifted minutes after being issued.
Saudi Arabia struck Houthi military targets on Friday after the group announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and hit ships in the Red Sea.
The rebels accused Saudi Arabia of a dangerous escalation and said its actions would not go unanswered.
The source describes the flare-up as a new front in a wider Middle East war following US-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February and alongside Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 03:50:30 UTC.
Update
The Houthis claimed the missile attack targeted the southern Saudi city of Jizan.
The claim was posted by the group's Ansarollah media on Telegram.
Saudi Arabia had earlier issued brief warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 03:42:53 UTC.
Update
The Houthis claimed a missile attack on southern Saudi Arabia.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 03:38:53 UTC.
Update
The Houthis vowed to retaliate against Saudi Arabia after accusing it of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Houthi Ansarollah media called the strikes a dangerous escalation and said they would not go unanswered.
A Yemeni security source said a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island were among the Saudi targets.
Houthi al-Masirah television said two people were wounded: a worker in Hodeida and a woman on Kamaran island.
Saudi state media said the NCC MASA, a vessel belonging to a Saudi company, sustained minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack and then resumed its course.
Kpler data cited in the report said all Saudi seaborne crude exports in April and May left from Yanbu on the Red Sea, with 92 percent in June and 78 percent so far in July.
The source says the exchange threatens a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 01:27:46 UTC.
Update
Houthi media said two people were injured: a worker in Hodeida and a woman on Kamaran island.
A Yemeni security source said a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran island were among the targets.
The source said explosions were heard in Hodeida, including near the port.
Saudi state media cited a transport authority official as saying the NCC MASA, owned by a Saudi company, was targeted in the Red Sea and suffered minor hull damage before resuming course.
The Houthis had warned ships on Monday that vessels belonging to Saudi Arabia would be targeted if they did not comply with their maritime blockade.
Kpler data cited in the report showed Saudi seaborne crude exports have relied heavily on the Red Sea port of Yanbu in recent months.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 22:11:55 UTC.
Update
A Yemeni security source said a telecoms building and a naval base were targeted in Hodeida.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 20:45:33 UTC.
Update
Houthi media said a woman was injured in Saudi strikes on Yemen's Kamaran island.
The source links the flare-up to the Houthis' maritime blockade announcement and attacks on Saudi ships.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 20:49:26 UTC.
Update
A Yemeni security source said facilities belonging to the Houthis were hit.
People in Hodeida heard explosions, and one witness said the sounds were heard close to the port.
The flare-up followed an attack on a Saudi ship and a Houthi announcement of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi state media identified the targeted vessel as NCC MASA, belonging to a Saudi company, and said it sustained minor hull damage before resuming its course.
The source says the Houthi blockade threat followed Iran's parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, described as Riyadh's only other maritime route.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 20:43:50 UTC.
Update
Houthi media said the strikes hit telecommunications facilities in Hodeida.
Houthi media said the strikes also hit Kamaran island.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 20:22:40 UTC.
Update
A security source told AFP that Houthi sites were hit.
Houthi media said Saudi Arabia targeted Hodeida province.
People in Hodeida heard explosions.
The strikes were reported as tensions rose after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and targeted Saudi ships.
Source note: AFP news report published on 24 July 2026 at 20:14:45 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
There was no confirmation from the United States of Iranian targeting of US facilities or personnel.
Amazon and Bahrain did not comment on the Revolutionary Guards' claim about an Amazon data centre in Bahrain.
The UKMTO incident near the Strait of Hormuz involved unspecified military forces.
Source
AFP news report published on .