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U.S. military goes silent on Iran airstrikes while Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia exchange attacks
Fortune • • general
Key Points:
- The Houthis claimed an attack on Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan, with Saudi civil defense reporting alerts but no further comment from Riyadh.
- Rising tensions in the Red Sea threaten global shipping, particularly around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint through which 12% of global trade passes; Houthis have threatened to close this route to Saudi-linked shipping.
- Saudi Arabia retaliated with airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, targeting what it described as military threats to commercial vessels, while the Houthis reported injuries from the strikes.
- Iran called for diplomacy to resolve the Yemen conflict amid ongoing U.S.-Iran tensions, with no new U.S. strikes overnight but heightened alerts and warnings to American nationals in the Middle East.
- The broader conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths across the region, including over 3,400 in Iran, 18 U.S. service members, and multiple civilians in Israel and neighboring countries.
