Saudi Arabia and Houthis exchange strikes — Cyprus Mail
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis exchanged new strikes near their shared border on Thursday, while Yemeni civilians left combat areas via the Red Sea. The escalation heightened concerns over oil supplies, as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted and the alternative route through the Red Sea has come under threat.
As Cyprus Mail reports, Houthi-controlled television said Saudi airstrikes hit Yemen’s Hajjah province near the border with Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea coast, as well as areas near the city of Taiz.
Drone strike over Taif
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense said a Yemeni national living in the kingdom was killed by debris from a drone intercepted over the western city of Taif. This is the first death Riyadh has announced in connection with repeated Houthi attacks since fighting escalated last week. Saudi authorities had previously reported more than 80 people injured.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval forces said an oil tanker flying the Togolese flag caught fire after being hit during what they called an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported that the vessel stopped after the fire.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Flight of civilians and the situation in the straits
The fighting forced some Yemeni civilians to flee across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The International Organization for Migration said more than 100,000 Yemenis had been displaced by the recent fighting, mostly within the country. According to the organization, 50-year-old Wahida Omer reached Djibouti by small boat after an attack on her village of Dhubab; her husband remained there.
The Houthis say the Saudi air force has carried out hundreds of strikes in recent days and also claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet on Wednesday. Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi called on Saudi Arabia to end the blockade and what he described as the “occupation” of Yemen.
Oil and negotiations
The US Navy is trying to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz and is blocking Iranian ports. Iran says the strait will remain closed until Washington lifts the blockade, and it seeks an agreement with neighboring Gulf states on charging fees to vessels passing through the strait.
Global oil prices fell slightly on Thursday but remained above $100 per barrel. US President Donald Trump told Axios that he is considering resuming large-scale attacks on Iran. The United States and Iran have held no talks on ending the war since a temporary agreement reached in June collapsed within weeks.
