Houthis Claim Saudi Arabia Carried Out Airstrikes on Taiz and Saada

SANAA (Terror Monitor) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on areas of Taiz and Saada, as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces continues to intensify.

The claims were reported by Al-Masirah, the Houthi movement’s television channel, which said Saudi warplanes targeted areas of Taiz where Houthi forces have made significant military advances against Yemeni government forces in recent days.

According to BBC Persian, Al-Masirah also reported that Saudi aircraft carried out strikes against targets in Saada, a major Houthi stronghold in northern Yemen. The channel further claimed that Saudi artillery fire targeted the border area of Manbah in Saada province.

The reports could not be independently verified.

Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Military Base

Earlier, a Houthi military spokesman claimed that the group had launched a combined missile and drone attack against a military base in southern Saudi Arabia.

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported attack, and details regarding the location, scale or damage caused were not immediately available.

The latest claims come amid a sharp escalation in military activity between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s government, with the conflict increasingly affecting strategic areas along the Red Sea and Saudi-Yemeni border.

Saudi Oil Pipeline Raises Global Supply Concerns

The escalation is also raising concerns over Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure.

Saudi oil traders and business partners have warned that global oil supplies could fall by as much as 4 percent if Riyadh fails to restore its major east-west oil pipeline within several days.

The pipeline is strategically important because it provides Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for transporting crude oil from its eastern production areas toward the Red Sea, reducing the country’s dependence on routes through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Any prolonged disruption to the pipeline could therefore have consequences beyond Yemen, potentially adding further pressure to global energy markets at a time of heightened regional tensions.

Maritime Blockade Fuels Escalation

The latest confrontation follows Saudi Arabia’s announcement on July 20 of a maritime blockade targeting the Houthis.

The Houthis subsequently announced their own retaliatory maritime blockade, further escalating the confrontation and contributing to an intensification of fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government troops.

The developments have also raised concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea and around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's key maritime chokepoints.

Houthis Claim Control of Red Sea Coast

Last week, the Houthis claimed that they had seized full control of Yemen’s western Red Sea coastline and the Bab al-Mandab Strait following a major military operation.

The group said its advances forced Saudi-backed government forces to withdraw from the area.

The claims have not been independently verified, but any sustained Houthi control or disruption around Bab al-Mandab could have major implications for international shipping and regional trade.

The strategic waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a critical maritime route between the Mediterranean, Middle East and Indian Ocean.

Displacement Crisis Deepens

The latest escalation has also triggered a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations said on Sunday that approximately 86,000 people had been displaced in Yemen as a result of intensified fighting between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis.

The figure represented an increase of about 10,000 people in just one day, highlighting the speed at which the displacement crisis is expanding.

Humanitarian agencies have warned that civilians in western coastal areas and other frontline regions are being forced to flee as fighting intensifies, while many displaced families have limited access to safe shelter and essential services.

With fighting spreading across strategically important areas and both sides threatening or claiming attacks against military and economic targets, concerns are growing that the latest escalation could further destabilize Yemen and have wider consequences for Red Sea shipping, global oil supplies and regional security.