Overview
- Houthi forces said they carried out a large missile-and-drone operation that struck military camps in Marib and Hadramawt on Thursday, with reported government troop deaths varying across sources from about 30 to 58.
- The group claimed simultaneous strikes on Saudi-linked oil tankers, naming the Wafa and the Daisy, and has enforced a declared maritime blockade of Saudi ports that has disrupted Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping.
- Saudi-led coalition officials reported a cross-border Houthi strike on Najran that wounded 11 civilians, including a four-year-old with burns, and accused the rebels of indiscriminate attacks on populated areas.
- Riyadh says intelligence from regional and Western partners points to possible coordinated attacks by Iraqi pro‑Iran militias and the Houthis under IRGC oversight, and the kingdom has formed a multinational Red Sea protection coalition while assessing military responses and keeping mediation channels open through Oman.
- The escalation deepens Yemen’s slide back from the 2022 truce, raises the risk to global trade through the Bab al‑Mandeb and Red Sea chokepoints, and could broaden the Iran‑regional confrontation with further strikes on ports, energy infrastructure and shipping.