Tensions in the Middle East have reached a dangerous new crescendo as Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Sunday that Saudi Arabia launched more than 50 airstrikes against their positions over the past 24 hours. The intense bombardment comes in direct retaliation for a massive drone and missile assault launched by the Iran-backed group against a military installation within the kingdom.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, confirmed the scale of the Saudi campaign via Telegram, stating that “the criminal Saudi enemy has carried out 58 airstrikes” in a single day. According to the group’s Almasirah TV channel, the strikes targeted several regions, including the Houthi stronghold of Saada and a market in northern Al-Jawf province, alongside heavy artillery fire in the border district of Monabbih.
The escalation follows a week of unprecedented hostility that has effectively shattered the remnants of a dormant 2022 ceasefire. Earlier this week, the Houthis conducted their heaviest drone and missile barrage in years, striking Saudi oil facilities and wounding 73 people. On Sunday, the group claimed responsibility for a strike on the Sharurah military base, asserting that they targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres” responsible for directing operations against their forces.
This resurgence of violence is inextricably linked to the broader regional conflagration sparked by the ongoing US-Iran conflict. The Houthis, emboldened by their recent capture of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, have effectively tightened their grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. With the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed due to the regional war, the Bab al-Mandab has become a critical, high-stakes artery for global oil exports, placing the Houthis at the center of a geopolitical chokehold.
The humanitarian fallout of this renewed civil war is rapidly worsening. The International Organization for Migration reported on Sunday that nearly 86,000 people have been displaced in recent weeks, a figure that surged by 10,000 in just 24 hours. Many are now attempting to flee the country entirely, with over 2,000 people already recorded arriving in Djibouti.
Despite the intensity of the fighting, Riyadh has remained characteristically reticent regarding the Houthi strikes on its soil, issuing only brief civil defense alerts for cities like Abha and Khamis Mushait. The airstrikes reported by the Houthis—totaling over 100 since Tuesday—appear to be focused primarily on frontline positions rather than the Houthi heart of power in Sanaa.
The volatility is further compounded by reports from Axios, which suggest that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has twice petitioned President Donald Trump to authorize direct US strikes against the Houthis over the past week. According to the report, the administration has so far declined the requests, leaving the Saudi-led coalition to navigate the renewed conflict largely on its own as the nation faces yet another chapter of its devastating humanitarian crisis.
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