"Red Sea front escalates: Houthi forces attack Saudi Red Sea port oil facilities twice in one day, Saudi airstrikes retaliate."

The conflict between Yemen’s Houthi armed forces and Saudi Arabia escalated sharply on July 25, with both sides completing a full round of mutual attacks in a single day, and the situation is sliding toward a potential rekindling of Yemen’s decade-long civil war.

According to CCTV News on July 25, the Houthis issued a statement announcing two rounds of attacks against two Saudi Aramco facilities on the Red Sea coast—the first round targeted Jizan, the second targeted Yanbu—using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, claiming “precise and direct hits.” According to Xinhua News Agency, Saudi Arabia responded immediately with airstrikes, attacking multiple Houthi positions in Yemen’s Marib and Jawf provinces, causing the deaths of several armed personnel, including missile technicians.

Analysts believe that the core risk of this escalation lies in the strategic position of Yanbu. After the Strait of Hormuz was blocked due to fighting between Iran, the U.S., and Israel, the Red Sea became Saudi Arabia’s lifeline for exports. Saudi Arabia was forced to transfer oil exports to Yanbu, becoming highly dependent on an east-west oil pipeline. If Yanbu suffers substantial damage, this will directly impact Saudi Arabia’s oil export capacity and pose a major threat to the global energy market.

Two-Round Houthi Attacks: Jizan and Yanbu Hit on the Same Day

According to CCTV News, the Houthis characterized this operation as retaliation for Saudi airstrikes on Hodeidah city, Hodeidah port, and Kamaran Island.

The first round used “dozens of” ballistic missiles and drones to strike “sensitive targets” of Saudi Aramco in Jizan, which hosts a large refinery. The second round involved ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to attack “sensitive targets” of Saudi Aramco in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia’s key oil export terminal.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare’e warned in the statement that they would “not hesitate to expand operations and escalate measures depending on developments in the coming hours and days,” and said the maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia would continue.

Media reports quoting Greek security officials said Saudi air defense systems intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward Yanbu, and that a U.S.-made Patriot missile system operated by Greece also shot down a drone from Yemen. Greece has deployed this air defense system in Saudi Arabia since 2021 based on a bilateral agreement, specifically to protect Saudi Arabia’s critical energy infrastructure.

Saudi Airstrike Counterattack: Multiple Positions in Marib and Jawf Hit

According to Xinhua News Agency, Yemen’s national television reported that the Saudi-led coalition conducted airstrikes against several military targets in northern areas controlled by the Houthis, including “missile launch platforms, rocket launch sites, and weapons depots” in Marib and Jawf provinces.

An unnamed local military official confirmed the strikes to Xinhua, and residents said there were repeated explosions in the target area. Reports said the attacks caused “the deaths of several Houthi members including missile technicians,” but so far, no independent agency has assessed the losses.

Saudi coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the airstrikes targeted “legitimate military objectives used by Houthi terrorist militias to threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” stressing the operation was “firm, decisive, and moderate.” He added that Hodeidah port under Houthi control was not targeted, and all Yemeni ports remain open to commercial shipping.

Notably, analysts believe this round of airstrikes is the first time the Saudi-led coalition has openly admitted to airstrike operations since a ceasefire agreement was reached four years ago, indicating the situation has broken through previous tacit boundaries.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading the Arab coalition against the Houthis. A ceasefire was reached in April 2022, but after the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and subsequent Houthi strikes on Red Sea shipping, sustained diplomatic efforts for lasting peace stalled.

Yanbu’s Strategic Importance: Energy Lifeline after Hormuz Blockade

The core sensitivity of this conflict lies in the special status of Yanbu under the current geopolitical landscape.

After the Strait of Hormuz was blocked during the Iran, U.S., and Israel conflict, the Red Sea became the critical channel for Saudi exports and trade. Saudi Arabia was forced to transfer oil exports to Yanbu, making oil transportation highly dependent on an east-west pipeline.

This means that Yanbu is no longer just an ordinary export port, but the sole alternative export outlet for Saudi Arabia to maintain oil exports if the Hormuz route is obstructed.

If Yanbu suffers substantial destruction, Saudi Arabia will face near-complete obstruction of oil export channels, with direct impacts passed on to global energy markets.

This round of conflict is not an isolated event, but a concentrated outbreak of recent tensions.

Earlier this week, CCTV reported that the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Saudi National News Agency reported a Saudi ship called NCC MASA was attacked in the Red Sea on July 25, suffering minor hull damage; crew members were safe and the vessel continued to its destination after inspection.

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