Daijiworld Media Network - Hodeidah

Hodeidah, Jul 25: Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah late on Friday, escalating tensions in the region amid the broader conflict involving the United States and Iran.

The Houthi Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, warning that Riyadh would face consequences and declaring that the latest attack marked the beginning of a new phase of escalation.

"By targeting Hodeidah, the Saudi regime has made 'escalation for escalation' the defining feature of the coming phase," the ministry said.

Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that the strikes targeted facilities belonging to Yemen's telecommunications authority and also hit Kamaran Island. The broadcaster said one woman was injured in the attack on the island.

Witnesses told Reuters that explosions were seen near Hodeidah port, although the Saudi-led coalition denied targeting the port itself.

Hodeidah is a vital entry point for commercial goods and humanitarian aid into Houthi-controlled northern Yemen, making it one of the country's most strategically important locations.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, blamed the Houthis for the renewed violence, accusing the group of carrying out "cowardly and reckless" attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

He said the coalition would continue to take all necessary operational measures and warned that any further hostile actions by the Houthis would be met with an immediate response.

The latest strikes came two days after the Houthis claimed responsibility for drone and missile attacks on several Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, saying the vessels had violated a naval blockade announced on Jul. 20.

The Houthis described the blockade as retaliation for an attack on Sanaa International Airport a week earlier, which they blamed on Saudi Arabia. The internationally recognised Yemeni government, backed by Riyadh, claimed responsibility for the airport strike, saying it was linked to the unauthorised arrival of an Iranian aircraft.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree had earlier declared that the airport attack ended the de-escalation period that had largely held since an informal truce between the two sides began in 2022.

Although the ceasefire was never formally signed, it marked the longest pause in hostilities since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.

The renewed exchange of attacks has raised concerns over disruptions to global shipping through the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes handling around 30 per cent of global container traffic.

Earlier on Friday, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said the group was not blocking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, clarifying that its naval blockade was limited to Saudi-linked shipping in response to what it described as Riyadh's continued siege of Yemen and refusal to pursue a fair political solution.