Saudi Arabia Resumes Yemen Strikes as Houthis Attack Red Sea

The Government of Saudi Arabia launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the first time since a 2022 truce. This military response followed the resumption of Houthi militant attacks on vessels in the Red Sea on July 22, 2026, which specifically targeted Saudi interests. On July 28, Saudi Arabia also conducted joint airstrikes with the United States in Iraq.

These escalations coincided with a drone strike on a liquefied natural gas storage facility in the Egyptian port of Damietta, an action attributed to Iran. Reports indicate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization provided personnel and missile components to Houthi forces to facilitate these operations.

The renewed conflict threatens Saudi Arabia's strategic effort to export oil through western ports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely shut down since February 2026. Analysts warn that a naval blockade of the Bab al-Mandab Strait could disrupt the Suez Canal and SUMED pipeline routes, potentially destabilizing global energy markets and commodity supply chains.