Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a significant wave of attacks across southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, striking oil facilities, economic infrastructure and a military air base in what represents a dangerous escalation in the yearslong conflict between the Iranian-backed group and the Saudi-led coalition.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesman, claimed responsibility in a prerecorded video statement, saying the rebels fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at oil and economic facilities, as well as King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. The strikes targeted major industrial sites including Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, a significant industrial and logistics hub on Saudi Arabia's southwestern Red Sea coast, along with Aramco facilities in Najran and Abha.
Saudi authorities reported that at least 73 people were wounded in the attacks, with fires set at multiple oil sites. The strikes also affected civilian populations, with injuries reported among women and children across the four targeted cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.
The Houthis framed the attacks as retaliation for Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. Hours before the Tuesday strikes, the group blamed Saudi Arabia for an airstrike that struck a prison in Yemen's northern Jawf province, killing at least seven people including a child and wounding seven others.
Saree stated that "every aggression against our country and people will be met with a firm response," characterizing the Saudi actions as the source of escalation. The Houthis have also continued targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, according to regional reports, threatening international shipping lanes and global commerce.
The attacks prompted swift international condemnation. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the strikes as "a reprehensible act of aggression and an unacceptable disregard for civilian lives and regional security," characterizing them as a blatant violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and a breach of international law. Qatar called for the international community to enforce relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216 concerning Yemen and Resolution 2722 addressing security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The escalation carried immediate economic consequences. Brent crude oil, the European benchmark, rose to near the $100 per barrel mark as markets reacted to renewed tensions in the Middle East and threats to regional stability.