RIYADH/SANAA July 24, 2026 — The Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes against Houthi military sites in Yemen’s Red Sea province of Hodeidah late Friday, July 24, 2026, in what it described as a response to recent attacks on Saudi shipping.
Coalition Joint Forces Command said the operation targeted positions linked to threats against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and emphasized that the Port of Hodeidah itself was not hit. All ports in the governorate remain open to maritime traffic, the statement added.
The strikes came hours after Saudi authorities reported that the oil tanker NCC Masa sustained minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack but continued its voyage. The incident followed Houthi claims of targeting two Saudi tankers earlier in the week after the group announced a maritime ban on Saudi shipping on Monday.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah television described the action as “Saudi aggression,” reporting that strikes hit telecommunications facilities in Hodeidah city and Kamaran Island, injuring at least one woman. Local residents told reporters they heard more than five explosions near the port area and saw plumes of smoke. Houthi air defenses claimed to have forced Saudi aircraft to withdraw.
Yemen’s Houthi-aligned Foreign Ministry later stated that the strikes marked “the start of a new phase” in which “escalation will be met with escalation,” holding Saudi Arabia responsible for any consequences. Reports also emerged of missile launches from Yemen toward Saudi territory as the group vowed retaliation.
The developments shatter a fragile calm that has largely held since a 2022 truce halted major fighting in Yemen’s long-running civil war. That conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, prompting the Saudi-led intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
Analysts note that recent Houthi actions — including an airport attack last week and the shipping blockade — have tested Saudi patience as the kingdom prepares to host major international events in the coming years. The coalition described its response as “proportionate” and warned of further action if Houthi attacks continue.
The situation raises fresh concerns over security along the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait and broader Red Sea shipping lanes. Both sides continue to trade accusations as the risk of wider escalation grows.
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