Saudi Arabia Strikes Yemen's Hodeida Port After Houthi Attacks on Oil Tankers

Saudi Arabia launched strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeida on Friday, according to Yemeni Houthi-run Al Masirah TV. This action is seen as a potential counteroffensive against the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which controls significant parts of Yemen and is considered rebel by Saudi Arabia, the US, and much of the international community. The strikes followed claims by the Houthis earlier in the week of attacking two Saudi oil tankers, which they stated violated a naval blockade imposed by the rebels at the entrance to the Red Sea. The Houthis, controlling northern and western Yemen, announced this naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in support of Iran, following a Saudi airstrike on an Iranian airport. This move has potentially opened a new front in the ongoing conflict. The blockade directly impacts the Bab el-Mandeb strait, also known as the "Gate of Tears," a crucial waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and providing access to the Indian Ocean. Millions of barrels of Saudi oil transit this route daily, supplying markets in Asia and Europe. This route had become an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has experienced severely disrupted traffic since the war began. Reuters reported that Iran sent military personnel and weaponry to the Houthis this month to bolster their blockade of Bab el-Mandeb, suggesting Tehran's intent to strengthen its allies in the renewed conflict with the United States and enhance the group's capacity to threaten Red Sea shipping. The Bab el-Mandeb strait is the Middle East's largest oil export route after the Strait of Hormuz.