Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked Saudi Aramco refinery, imperiling strained truce

Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced they carried out a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco refinery in the Jizan region of Saudi Arabia. Saba, the news agency affiliated with the Houthis, described the strike as a response to what it termed Saudi violations of Yemeni sovereignty. Reports also indicate that Houthi forces fired missiles at the Yemeni port city of Mokha, an attack the internationally recognized Yemeni government says resulted in eight deaths.

Hans Grundberg, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, warned the UN Security Council that the country faces its most serious threat of a return to full-scale war since the 2022 truce. He emphasized that intensified military activity along frontlines and attacks on commercial vessels risk drawing Yemen into a wider regional confrontation.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher also described the situation as dire, stating that more than half of Yemen’s population is suffering from acute food insecurity, with six million people on the brink of famine. UN officials have called for the immediate release of 73 UN personnel and other NGO workers currently detained by the Houthis.

Efforts to transform the 2022 truce into a lasting political settlement have stalled. In recent weeks, fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces has escalated, while a naval blockade in the Red Sea has further heightened regional tensions.