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The Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-led coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen announced that it had carried out proportionate military strikes on legitimate Houthi targets in Hodeidah governorate. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki described the Houthi action against commercial vessels as “a reckless and cowardly act” that formed part of ongoing threats to international shipping lanes in the Red Sea. Al-Maliki stated that the operation achieved its objectives while complying with international humanitarian law and focused exclusively on sites used to target maritime traffic.
The spokesman stressed that the strikes deliberately avoided all civilian infrastructure and commercial facilities throughout the governorate. Hodeidah Port together with the Ras Isa and Salif ports remained fully open to commercial shipping carrying food, commodities, fuel and medical materials, according to the coalition. Yemeni airports continued normal operations without interruption, the statement added.
Arab News reported that the targeted locations included a naval base in Hodeidah and a military camp on Kamaran Island. A Yemeni security source told AFP that those installations were struck during the Friday operation. The coalition’s move followed recent Houthi declarations of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and associated assaults on shipping linked to the kingdom.
Al Jazeera reported that Houthi officials accused Saudi forces of hitting additional sites including telecommunications facilities in Hodeidah with the strikes. Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV quoted defense sources claiming that Yemeni air defenses had forced several coalition aircraft to withdraw from national airspace. The exchanges reflect continued maritime tensions that have reduced daily traffic through the Bab al-Mandab strait to around 31 ships from a pre-crisis average of 75, according to analyses of the Red Sea crisis.
Maj. Gen. Al-Maliki accused the Houthis of imposing a siege on the Yemeni people by maintaining the closure of Sana’a International Airport and pursuing other restrictive measures. Those policies have intensified humanitarian suffering across the country, the spokesman said. The coalition reiterated its support for the legitimate Yemeni government and the broader population in response to such actions.
The coalition warned that it would continue taking necessary measures to safeguard its interests, assets and vessels traversing the region. Al-Maliki stated that any further Houthi hostile acts would encounter a firm and immediate response without hesitation. The development comes as the conflict that began with the coalition’s intervention in 2015 at the request of Yemen’s recognized government faces renewed pressure over Red Sea security.
