Saudi Arabia launches air strikes on Houthi-held Hodeidah, breaching four-year truce

Saudi Arabia has launched air strikes on the Houthi-held city of Hodeidah in Yemen, according to media controlled by the rebel group. Houthi security sources confirmed late on Friday that facilities, including those belonging to the telecommunications authority and sites on Kamaran Island, were hit. Separate reports indicated that a Saudi ship was struck in the Red Sea.

The attack escalates regional tensions following a Houthi maritime blockade announced on July 20, which was framed as retaliation for a strike on Sanaa’s international airport a week earlier. Military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that the airport attack ended a “de-escalation phase” maintained since an informal truce took hold in 2022.

Although never formalised, the truce had held for four years, marking the longest lull in hostilities since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government. The strikes on Hodeidah represent a significant breach of this arrangement, targeting a city whose port handles the bulk of commercial and humanitarian imports into Houthi-controlled northern Yemen.

The Houthi blockade, described by leaders as an “eye for an eye” response, targeted several Saudi-linked ships. The conflict is occurring amid heightened tensions involving United States hostilities with Iran and Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. The United States and Iran are currently engaging in reciprocal strikes, with Iran-backed Houthi rebels previously targeting Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The exact extent of damage to the telecommunications facilities and Kamaran Island sites is not yet independently verified. The status and condition of the Saudi ship reported hit in the Red Sea require further confirmation. The precise attribution of the strike on Sanaa’s international airport remains a point of contention, with the Houthis blaming Saudi Arabia.