Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, targeting fuel depots, and on a site on Kamaran Island, according to Abu Ali Express. The strikes come in response to a Houthi attack on a Saudi gas tanker earlier today in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. A Houthi official warned of 'port for port, airport for airport' escalation.
The latest reports from Abu Ali Express specify that Saudi airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah targeted the naval port's fuel depots and a site on Kamaran Island, described as a response to a Houthi attack on a Saudi gas tanker earlier today in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. A senior Houthi official, Hazam al-Asad, warned of 'port for port, airport for airport, escalation for greater escalation' on social media, raising the prospect of a further cycle of retaliation.
At 22:55 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported explosions at Hodeidah port, followed minutes later by a Houthi spokesman warning that Saudi aggression was targeting the port and that the Saudis had 'opened the gates of hell for themselves.' By 22:55, the desk confirmed at least seven Saudi airstrikes on the port. The reports evolved from unverified claims to official Houthi statements and a confirmed Saudi military operation within the same hour.
The strikes come amid a broader pattern of Houthi attacks on vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, including a reported attack on two Saudi oil tankers in the past 24 hours (as The Zioneer reported on July 23). Earlier incidents include a June 17 attack on an oil tanker by fast attack boats and a July 13 attack on a tanker off Aden, as well as Houthi warnings against airlines flying over Saudi airspace and a strike on a Saudi airport (as The Zioneer reported on July 14).
What remains unclear is the extent of damage and casualties from the strikes, and whether the Houthis will follow through on the threat of 'port for port' retaliation.
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