Houthis Claim Strike on Saudi Warship as Yemen Nears War
Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have struck a Saudi military landing ship and four escort vessels with ballistic missiles off Mokha, though the account could not be verified and Riyadh has not confirmed it. It follows attacks on government camps in Marib and Hadramawt that killed at least 30 troops. The UN envoy Hans Grundberg warned that Yemen faces its greatest risk of all-out war since the 2022 truce.
After four years of an uneasy calm, Yemen’s war is reigniting on several fronts at once, and the Houthis’ claim, whether or not it proves accurate, signals an intent to take the fight to the Saudi navy directly rather than merely to passing shipping. The strikes on government camps mark some of the heaviest losses in years and suggest a group that feels emboldened, even as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden see renewed attacks that threaten a shipping trade already rattled by the Hormuz crisis. Mr Grundberg’s warning is a rare formal alarm from the UN. Watch whether Saudi Arabia confirms any losses and responds, and whether the Red Sea route seizes up further.