"Red Sea Frontline" Escalates: Houthi Forces Attack Saudi Red Sea Port Oil Facilities Twice in One Day, Saudi Airstrikes Respond

The conflict between the Yemeni Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia sharply escalated on July 25, with both sides carrying out a full round of mutual strikes on the same day. The situation is sliding towards the rekindling of the decade-long Yemeni civil war.

According to CCTV News on July 25, the Houthi forces issued a statement announcing that they had launched two rounds of attacks against two Saudi Aramco facilities along Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast—the first targeting Jizan, the second targeting Yanbu—using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, claiming "precise and direct hits". According to Xinhua News Agency, Saudi Arabia immediately responded with airstrikes, attacking several Houthi positions in Yemen’s Marib and Al Jawf provinces, resulting in the deaths of several militants including missile technicians.

Analysts believe that the core risk of this escalation lies in the strategic position of Yanbu. Since the Strait of Hormuz has been blockaded due to fighting between Iran and the US and Israel, the Red Sea has become Saudi Arabia’s lifeline for exports, forcing Saudi Arabia to reroute crude oil exports to Yanbu, making it highly dependent on an east-west oil pipeline. If Yanbu suffers substantial damage, Saudi Arabia’s oil export capacity will be directly impacted, posing a major threat to the global energy market.

Two Rounds of Houthi Strikes: Jizan and Yanbu Attacked on the Same Day

According to CCTV News, the Houthi statement characterized the attack as retaliation for earlier Saudi airstrikes on Hodeidah city, Hodeidah port, and Kamaran Island.

The first wave used “dozens of” ballistic missiles and drones to strike “sensitive targets” of Saudi Aramco in Jizan, which has a large refinery. The second wave deployed a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to strike “sensitive targets” of Saudi Aramco in Yanbu, a critical Saudi crude export terminal.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sare'e warned in the statement that the group would “not hesitate to expand operations and escalate measures based on how the situation develops in the coming hours and days,” and stated that the maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia would continue.

Media reports indicate that Greek security officials stated that Saudi air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen toward Yanbu, and a US-made "Patriot" missile system operated by Greece shot down a drone from Yemen. Since 2021, Greece has deployed this air defense system in Saudi Arabia under a bilateral agreement, specifically to protect critical Saudi energy infrastructure.

Saudi Airstrike Response: Multiple Positions in Marib and Al Jawf Attacked

According to Xinhua News Agency, Yemen’s national TV reported that the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on several military targets controlled by the Houthis in the north, including “missile launch platforms, rocket launching positions, and arms depots” in Marib and Al Jawf provinces.

A local military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed these strikes to Xinhua News Agency. Local residents also reported continuous explosions from the target area. The raids reportedly caused "deaths of several Houthi militants, including missile technicians," though as of now, no independent organization has assessed the extent of the losses.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, stated that the airstrikes targeted "legitimate military objectives used by Houthi terrorist militias to threaten Red Sea commercial vessels," emphasizing that the operation was “firm, decisive and proportionate.” He also stated that Hodeidah port, controlled by the Houthis, was not on the target list and all Yemeni ports remain open for commercial shipping.

Notably, analysts believe this round of airstrikes is the first publicly acknowledged by the Saudi-led coalition since the ceasefire agreement reached four years ago, marking a clear crossing of the tacit boundary that previously existed.

Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015, leading an Arab coalition against the Houthi forces. All parties agreed to a ceasefire in April 2022, but the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and subsequent Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping stalled diplomatic efforts for lasting peace.

Yanbu’s Strategic Importance: Energy Chokepoint under the Hormuz Blockade

The core sensitivity of this round of conflict lies in Yanbu’s special status under the current geopolitical landscape.

After the Strait of Hormuz was shut due to fighting between Iran and the US and Israel, the Red Sea became Saudi Arabia’s key channel for exports and trade. Saudi Arabia was forced to shift oil exports to Yanbu, making its crude oil transportation highly dependent on an east-west oil pipeline.

This means that Yanbu is no longer just an ordinary export port, but Saudi Arabia’s only alternative export outlet for maintaining crude exports if the Hormuz route is blocked.

If Yanbu suffers substantial damage, Saudi Arabia could face an almost complete blockade of its oil export route, and the effects would be felt directly in the global energy market.

This round of conflict is not an isolated event, but rather an outburst of tensions that have been building up recently.

Earlier this week, CCTV News said that the Houthi forces announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. According to the Saudi national news agency, a Saudi vessel named NCC MASA was attacked in the Red Sea on July 25, sustaining only minor damage to its hull. The crew remained safe and the ship continued to its destination after inspection.