Houthis Strike Saudi Airport and Expand Maritime Blockade

The Houthi movement launched a series of drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia starting August 4, 2026, marking the first exchange of heavy fire since a 2022 truce. A domestically developed kamikaze drone struck the main radar at Najran Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, suspending flight operations indefinitely. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated the strike responded to Saudi drone violations of airspace over the Saada and Hajjah governorates. Additional projectiles struck the Najran region, wounding 11 civilians.

Simultaneously, the Houthis expanded a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, claiming ballistic missile strikes on the oil tankers Wafa near Yanbu and Daisy in the Gulf of Aden. Saree reported that the group has targeted eight Saudi ships since July 22 and obstructed 29 others. This escalation follows a shift in Saudi oil routing to the northern Red Sea after conflict between the United States and Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime data from Windward shows a 39 percent drop in Saudi oil tanker traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

In response, the Government of Saudi Arabia and 13 other nations, including Turkey and Pakistan, formed a defensive naval alliance to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. While the alliance formalizes its defense, Saudi Aramco maintains that the blockade has not yet impacted total export volumes.