Saudi-led coalition strikes Hodeidah as Yemen teeters toward renewed conflict

The Saudi‑led coalition carried out air strikes on Houthi‑controlled Hodeidah and nearby Kamaran Island, targeting military sites linked to the telecommunications authority and other installations. The coalition said the port was not hit and that the operation was proportionate and aimed at legitimate military targets that threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Houthi media reported that the attacks damaged facilities and injured civilians, while also claiming to have struck a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea and imposed a naval blockade on Saudi shipping.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government condemned the Houthi attacks on merchant vessels and said it would take all necessary measures to deter the threat, reaffirming that Yemeni ports, including Hodeidah, remain open for humanitarian and commercial traffic. The escalation has raised concerns that the 2022 cease‑fire could collapse, with UN and regional mediators warning that renewed fighting would endanger the Red Sea shipping lane and broader regional stability.

Analysts note that the buildup of forces along the front line from the Red Sea coast to the Saudi border, combined with the Houthi blockade and recent attacks on Saudi infrastructure, could push Yemen back into full‑scale war, heightening tensions linked to the wider Iran‑Saudi rivalry.