Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a post on X that weapons depots and command-and-control centers were targeted in the attack. He claimed the facilities were being used to carry out Saudi aggression against the Houthis and the Yemeni people. He did not specify when the attack took place. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the claim.

Saree also warned that the Houthis would carry out larger attacks deeper inside Saudi territory if Saudi attacks continued.

Meanwhile, Saudi Civil Defense said a missile landed in the Al-Tuwal governorate in the southwestern Jazan region on Saturday, injuring two people. A mosque, several buildings and vehicles were damaged in the incident.

Fighting Intensifies Again in Yemen
Fresh fighting broke out last week between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Yemen’s government forces. Saudi Arabia has long provided military support to the Yemeni government.

The Houthis have claimed that they advanced in western Taiz province and captured the coastal city of Mokha and a port on the Red Sea, bringing them closer to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Government forces, meanwhile, have claimed advances in the northern Al Jawf province near the Saudi border.

Yemen’s military said three airstrikes were carried out against Houthi positions and barracks in Taiz. The state-run Saba news agency reported that vehicles carrying Houthi fighters and weapons were destroyed near Mokha port.

Saudi Crown Prince Called Trump
According to US media outlet Axios, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice last week to request attacks against the Houthis. The report said the requests were rejected.

Responding to reporters’ questions in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Trump said the Houthis had contacted the United States and did not want a conflict with Washington. They had asked the US not to take action against them, he said.

Trump also said that “everything will work out” in the region.

Drone Attack on Saudi Oil Pipeline
Amid the Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia’s key East-West oil pipeline was also targeted by drones. The attack took place early Thursday in the Riyadh and Medina regions.

Saudi authorities said the drones came from Iraq. Several people were injured and the pipeline was damaged. The pipeline was temporarily shut down as a precaution, temporarily closing Saudi Arabia’s main alternative route for transporting oil through the Red Sea while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked about the attack, Trump said Iran could be behind it. Iraq, however, condemned the attack and said its territory and airspace would not be allowed to be used as a launchpad for attacks against any country. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation into the incident.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi strongly condemned the attack, calling it a dangerous and unacceptable threat to Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity. He urged Iraq to take firm measures to prevent such attacks from being launched from its territory.

76,000 Displaced by Fighting
The UN migration agency said around 76,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since July because of the fighting in Yemen. The number of displaced people increased fourfold last week alone.

Yemeni Finance Minister Elias Moussa Dawaleh said around 1,400 people had sought refuge in Djibouti. Sources from both sides said more than 500 people had been killed in the renewed fighting.

How Yemen’s Civil War Began
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces. In 2015, a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened militarily to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

The situation in Yemen remained relatively calm following a ceasefire in 2022. However, fighting has intensified again since July.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, Antara and The Guardian