Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Arabia amid heightened tensions

Tue Sep 08 2026 22:06:10 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The Iranian‑backed Houthis claim a missile hit on Saudi Arabia’s city of Jizan, following Saudi air strikes on Houthi targets.

The Houthis announced a missile attack on the Saudi city of Jizan, asserting revenge for Riyadh’s air strikes on Hodeida and surrounding islands. The claim comes after a week of escalating confrontations in the Red Sea, with Saudi and U.S. forces engaging Iranian‑linked targets. Saudi emergency alerts were issued, and U.S. naval forces disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, raising fears of a wider maritime conflict. Oil prices briefly surged above $100 a barrel due to security concerns, only to fall again after ships passed the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait. The incident underscores the fragile ceasefire between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, amid broader U.S.–Iran tensions and talks over the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Arabia amid heightened tensions

Students rally in Sana’a supporting Houthi naval embargo

The Iranian‑backed Houthis have claimed a missile attack on Saudi Arabia, after Riyadh launched strikes on Houthi‑linked targets on Friday.

Early on Saturday the Houthis’ Ansarollah media reported via Telegram that a “Yemeni missile strike” had caused fires in the Saudi province of Jizan, prompting emergency alerts from Saudi authorities.

The claim follows Saudi air strikes on Hodeida and a nearby island, actions the Houthis say provoke retaliation. No overnight strikes were reported by the U.S. or Iran for the first time in two weeks.

While the U.S. military continued nightly strikes on Iran, Iranian forces launched drone attacks on U.S. bases across the Middle East. The situation escalated further when the U.S. disabled a tanker ship in the Gulf of Oman, a second commercial vessel lost under the American blockade of Iranian ports.

Oil prices reflected the rising threat, briefly climbing above $100 a barrel. They fell again as Chinese‑chartered supertankers successfully navigated the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis’ message to Saudi Arabia: “The Saudi enemy’s targeting of civilian facilities in Hodeida and Kamaran island constitutes a dangerous escalation. We affirm that these recent crimes will not go unanswered.” Saudi officials have not yet responded.

Upcoming events include a U.S. and U.K. conference in London on the Strait of Hormuz, featuring Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Trump on Tuesday.

Despite a 14‑point Memorandum of Understanding signed in June to halt operations in the Strait of Hormuz, tensions remain high, and Trump’s administration has declared the ceasefire “over” after renewed attacks on ships and U.S. strikes in response.