Saudi strikes Houthis in Yemen after Red Sea tanker attacks

Saudi strikes Houthis in Yemen on Saturday after the Iran-backed militia said it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier in the week, raising the stakes around a shipping route tied directly to oil exports and global trade.

Saudi Arabia said coalition forces targeted Houthi military positions used to threaten commercial vessels. Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said in a statement that the strikes were limited to military targets connected to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The Houthi movement, which controls Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday. The group threatened to cut off Saudi oil exports moving through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Al-Malki accused the Houthis of targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The group had claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers earlier in the week.

Why are Saudi strikes on the Houthis affecting Red Sea shipping?

The Red Sea is a major corridor for commercial shipping, including energy cargoes. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the key chokepoints on that route, so threats there can put oil tankers and other merchant vessels at risk.

For retail investors, the immediate market link is straightforward: attacks near energy shipping lanes can add uncertainty around oil flows and transport costs. The reports did not include a confirmed market impact or official estimate of damage from the latest exchanges.

Saudi air defenses intercept missiles near Yanbu

Reuters reported, citing Greek security sources, that air defense systems in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Yemen on Saturday. The missiles were aimed at oil refineries in Yanbu, a Saudi city on the Red Sea, according to those sources.

Saudi Civil Defence issued several warnings for Yanbu and later said the danger had passed. There were no immediate official reports of damage.

The air defense system was operated by Greek military personnel, Reuters reported, citing the same security sources.

Trump says Iran would be held responsible for further Houthi attacks

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington would hold Iran accountable if the Houthis carried out more attacks. In a Truth Social post, Trump described the Houthis as a proxy of Iran and said further attacks would bring major military punishment against Iran and the Houthis.

The Saudi strikes followed another escalation in the wider conflict. U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Iran late Thursday and early Friday, marking the 13th straight night of attacks, according to the report.

The Associated Press quoted U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins as saying American forces disabled the M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after the ship tried to breach a blockade of Iran’s ports at least four times.

Trump also told Axios that he would soon decide whether to launch a larger attack on Iran. He said the proposed strikes would be bigger than anything so far in the war and said Iran had not “received enough pain yet.”

Separately, Reuters reported Friday, citing three Pakistani sources, that Pakistan was seeking ways to restart stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.