Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saturday claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities in the cities of Jazan and Yanbu, marking a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two sides. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the attacks involved dozens of projectiles launched at installations affiliated with Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco. The Houthis said the strikes were in retaliation for a Saudi-led coalition assault on the Houthi-held coastal city of Hodeidah on Friday night.

Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed the alleged Houthi attacks. However, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence issued danger warnings across Jazan and Yanbu on Saturday, though it did not specify the nature or origin of the threat. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, reported conducting air strikes in Yemen late Friday targeting Houthi military positions. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said these operations were carried out in response to attacks on Saudi vessels and focused on “legitimate military objectives” in the western province of Hodeidah.

Al-Maliki emphasized that the vital port of Hodeidah, a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid amid Yemen’s ongoing conflict, was not targeted during the strikes. In turn, Saree warned that the Houthis remain prepared to escalate their military actions depending on further developments on the ground.

In addition to the reported operations in Hodeidah, a television station affiliated with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government reported that airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in the eastern provinces of Marib and al-Jawf on Saturday. The intensified military activity underscores the fragility of the latest ceasefire efforts and highlights the continuing cycle of retaliatory attacks between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in the increasingly volatile region.