Red Sea Heats Up, Houthis Claim Strike on Aramco Refinery in Saudi Arabia
The Iran-backed Houthi group claimed to have carried out missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (7/25). This action is said to be in retaliation for airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in Hodeida, Yemen. Saudi civil defense authorities confirmed warning sirens were sounded, but Riyadh has yet to give an official statement on the impact of the strikes.
This escalation raises the threat to shipping route security in the Red Sea. The Houthis threatened to blockade the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic chokepoint through which about 12 percent of global trade passes, if the blockade on Yemen and attacks on Sanaa Airport are not halted. The head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, stressed that the only solution is to end the aggression and lift the blockade.
The Saudi-led coalition denied attacking Hodeida Port and stated that its air operations only targeted military threats to commercial ships. Meanwhile, Houthi health authorities reported two people injured from the strikes in the port area. Iran's Foreign Minister called for a peaceful resolution amid rising tensions also between Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking concerns over energy supply chains and international trade.
https://www.gelora.co/2026/07/