Saudi airstrikes hit Hodeidah after Red Sea vessel attack

Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah on July 24, 2026, in what it called a proportionate response to attacks on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. The Saudi-led Coalition Joint Forces Command stated the operation was a direct retaliation for a Houthi attack on a Saudi vessel that same day, which caused minor hull damage. Coalition spokesperson Staff Major General Turki al-Malki described the Houthi attack as a cowardly and reckless act and emphasized that the port of Hodeidah itself was not targeted, only military objectives.

The Houthi movement, which controls much of northern Yemen including Hodeidah, warned the Saudi strikes would lead to further escalation. A statement from the Houthi foreign ministry said, "By targeting Hodeidah, the Saudi regime has made escalation for escalation the defining feature of the coming phase." Houthi-affiliated media reported the strikes hit facilities belonging to the state telecommunications corporation and also targeted Kamaran Island off Yemen's coast, injuring at least one worker and a woman.

This exchange shatters a years-long informal truce that had largely held since 2022 and follows...