Yemen conflict escalates as Houthis allege 300 Saudi strikes in one week
Diplomatic efforts in Muscat and a raised alert for EU naval forces underscore growing international concern over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have accused Saudi Arabia of intensifying its aerial bombardment, claiming the Kingdom launched 26 strikes in the past 24 hours. According to reports from the AFP news agency, the group stated that Saudi attacks on Houthi-held territory had reached a cumulative total of 300 over the previous week. The allegations mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with both sides trading blows across multiple fronts.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni government responded by reporting that its forces had killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded more than 60 in the al-Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province. This development follows earlier clashes this week that resulted in at least five deaths, including three children, according to reports from both sides. Saudi Arabia also confirmed one fatality in the Taif governorate after a Houthi drone was intercepted, while Houthi-linked media cited further deaths in Taiz and the town of Abs.
On the ground, the political dynamics of the war remain fluid. Tens of thousands of supporters marched through Sanaa on Friday in a show of solidarity for the Iran-backed Houthis and in opposition to Saudi Arabia. The rebels have continued to press territorial gains, bringing large stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait, under their control.
The escalation has prompted diplomatic engagement from Washington, albeit with some reluctance. US officials met with Houthi representatives at the US embassy in the Omani capital, Muscat, over the weekend to discuss concerns regarding shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb corridor. The Houthis reportedly assured US officials that vessels not linked to Saudi Arabia would not be targeted, a move aimed at mitigating broader economic disruption.
Despite appeals from Riyadh for US President Donald Trump to strike the Houthis directly, Washington has held back from direct military intervention. The administration remains wary of opening a new front while still engaged in a costly conflict with Iran. This cautious approach reflects a broader institutional strategy to manage regional stability without overextending military resources.
In Europe, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the EU’s Red Sea naval mission, Operation Aspides, had raised its alert level as the regional situation worsened. Kallas described Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as unacceptable, stating that they sabotage the global economy. She confirmed she had spoken with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud regarding diplomatic efforts to end the fighting and restore freedom of navigation.
