Saudi Airstrikes Hit Houthi Weapons Depots in Yemen's Marib as Group Claims Retaliatory Attack on Khamis Mushait Base
Saudi-led coalition airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in Yemen while the Iran-aligned group claimed to have launched dozens of missiles and drones at a major Saudi airbase in retaliation.
Ongoing Airstrikes on Houthi Targets
Airstrikes hit Houthi weapons depots in Marib. [1] Government forces also reportedly foiled a Houthi infiltration attempt in Marib. [1] The Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia conducted more than 300 airstrikes over five days. [2] The Houthis said Saudi warplanes including F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft launched strikes from air bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif. [2] The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out 54 strikes across five provinces in 24 hours. [3] The provinces included Taiz and Hodeidah. [2] Reuters reported that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have intensified in recent days in response to expanded Houthi attacks on Saudi military bases and energy infrastructure. [2] Fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has sharply escalated. [2]
Houthi Retaliatory Attacks on Saudi Arabia
The Houthis said they responded with a large-scale military operation targeting King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. [2] The Houthis said dozens of ballistic missiles and drones were fired at aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots at the Saudi military facility. [2] The group claimed its missiles and drones struck their intended targets and caused extensive damage to military infrastructure at the base. [2] Saudi authorities have not confirmed those claims. [2] The Houthis warned that if Saudi airstrikes continue they will launch broader and more intense operations against military targets inside Saudi Arabia. [2] The campaign would continue until what they described as Saudi aggression against Yemen ends. [2] Reuters has reported that the Houthis have recently claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha, Jazan and Najran. [2]
Saudi airstrikes targeted Houthi weapons depots in Yemen's Marib province. — Source: khaamapress
Yemeni Government Forces' Actions
Yemeni forces downed three Houthi drones amid the strikes on the group's positions. [3] A military source quoted by Yemen’s armed forces media center said the Houthi missile campaign had not affected ongoing military operations by government forces against the group along the western front. [2] The Yemeni military did not release casualty figures or provide an assessment of damage from the reported Houthi attacks. [2] Saudi Arabia has also not issued an official statement confirming the Houthis’ account of the latest strikes or the alleged damage at King Khalid Air Base. [2]
Impact on Oil Infrastructure and Markets
A drone attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline may remove up to 4% of global oil supply for five to six weeks. [4] Brent crude rose as much as 4% before settling around 1% higher. [5] Brent was trading up three percent on Monday at nearly $108 per barrel. [4] Oil already soared last week as a result of a lightning Houthi offensive that put the group in control of Yemen’s side of the Bab el-Mandeb. [4] The rising price of Brent does not necessarily reflect the even higher prices that customers are paying for oil and especially refined products like diesel. [4] The politically sensitive average retail price of diesel in the United States hit a new all-time high above $6.23 a gallon on Monday. [5] Traders said a prolonged shutdown of the Saudi pipeline could cut off as much as 4% of global oil supply. [5] Satellite imagery has shown fire damage along parts of the route. [5]
Yemeni government forces down three Houthi drones during Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Marib. — Source: anadolu
Broader Conflict Escalation and Displacement
The escalation follows the collapse of a 2022 UN-brokered truce. [2] Fighting has expanded across the Red Sea coast. [2] The Houthis have advanced rapidly in Yemen in recent days, capturing territory including Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea on Friday. [5] The Houthis swept into cities including the historic Red Sea port of Mocha in Yemen last week. [5] The International Organization for Migration estimates 82,000 Yemenis have fled fighting since the start of the month. [5] Aisha Muhammad, an elderly woman burning twigs to heat a kettle in government-held territory near Taiz in southwestern Yemen, told Reuters she had left behind two daughters and three sons who had been unable to escape. [5] “They can’t even go out to the market to get food and drinking water. They are being blocked and shot at, so they are trapped inside their homes,” she said. [5] “They cannot reach us, and we cannot return to them. This is a trial from God.” [5]
International and Diplomatic Reactions
The renewed Yemen conflict poses another challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump, who faces pressure from Gulf allies to help contain the Houthis but has sought to avoid opening a major new front in the regional war. [5] Three sources have told Reuters that Washington has so far resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence support. [5] Trump said over the weekend he had spoken with the crown prince and that the Houthis had also contacted Washington urging it to stay out of the conflict. [5] Oman had been due to host a meeting on Monday with Iran and Gulf states to discuss negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [5] Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi announced overnight that the meeting had been postponed. [5] Iran said the postponement was at the request of Saudi Arabia. [5] Saudi state media reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. regional commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday. [5]
What to watch next: The Houthis warned they will intensify missile and drone attacks on targets inside the kingdom if the campaign continues, while Saudi officials have not confirmed damage claims and the U.S. has so far resisted requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence support.
