Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis exchange strikes in escalating Red Sea conflict

Jul 25, 2026

On July 25, 2026, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched missile and drone strikes against Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan. The attacks followed retaliatory Saudi-led coalition airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Hodeidah, which were triggered by Houthi strikes on Saudi oil tankers earlier that week. The escalating conflict threatens the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping chokepoint carrying 12% of global trade, and endangers Saudi Arabia's primary oil export route through Yanbu.

Houthi strikes on Aramco refineries

▪Saudi Arabia's civil defense issued and subsequently lifted safety warnings for Yanbu and Jizan early on July 25, 2026, with no immediate official reports of casualties.
▪Satellite fire-detection data and social media imagery showed thick smoke and thermal anomalies at the Saudi Aramco Jazan oil refinery following the Houthi attacks on July 25, 2026.
▪Yemen's Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones targeting Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan on July 25, 2026.

Saudi airstrikes on Hodeidah

▪The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes late on July 24, 2026, targeting Houthi military sites, a naval base, and a telecommunications building in Yemen's Hodeidah province and Kamaran Island.
▪A spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry stated that the Saudi airstrikes in Hodeidah and Kamaran Island injured two people.
▪The Saudi-led coalition stated its airstrikes targeted legitimate military assets linked to threats against commercial vessels, while denying that Hodeidah Port itself was hit.

Houthi Red Sea blockade

▪The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, 2026, threatening to block Saudi-linked shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
▪Mahdi al-Mashat stated the Houthis would not lift the Bab el-Mandeb blockade unless Saudi Arabia ends its aggression and lifts its blockade on Yemen.

Commercial vessel attacks

▪The Saudi-owned commercial vessel NCC MASA suffered minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack on July 24, 2026, but was able to continue its voyage.
▪The Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea during the week of July 20, 2026, prompting the subsequent Saudi retaliatory airstrikes.

Yemeni government condemnation

▪Yemen's internationally recognized government declared it would not allow Yemeni territory to be used to threaten neighboring countries or international maritime security.
▪Yemen's internationally recognized government condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping as acts of terrorism that serve Iran's regional agenda.

Saudi oil export routes

▪The Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital shipping chokepoint carrying approximately 12% of global trade and 25% of global container traffic.
▪The Red Sea port of Yanbu accounted for 92% of Saudi Arabia's seaborne crude exports in June 2026 and 78% in July 2026.