Middle East Crisis Houthi rebels

Iran Does Not Believe Conflict Can Be Resolved Militaryly: “Old Disputes”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is taking a passive stance in the conflict between the Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, writes AFP.

Araghchi believes that the fighting is not Iran's, as the differences between them stem from “old disputes” and not from their respective relations with Iran.

“We do not believe that the solution to the regional problems in Yemen and in the Bab al-Mandab can be resolved by military means,” he says.

The UN brokered a peace settlement between the parties in 2022, but the Houthi rebels now appear to have torn it up, when they issued a blockade of Saudi cargo ships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait this week. The blockade in turn caused the already high oil prices to soar even higher.

Houthi rebels launch rocket attack on Saudi Arabia

Houthi rebels attacked targets in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, AFP reports. In a rocket attack targeting the Saudi city of Jizan, several buildings were reportedly set on fire.

The attack was a response to Saudi Arabia's attack on the Yemen-based group on Friday, when a naval base and a military camp were reportedly bombed.

The Houthi rebels have been blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for a week. In connection with this, they have banned Saudi cargo ships from passing, which is a severe blow to Saudi oil sales.

Attacks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia continue

Another Saudi ship has been attacked in the Red Sea, AFP reports. The ship is said to have suffered minor damage to its hull.

Meanwhile, media controlled by the Houthi rebels reported that Saudi Arabia had attacked the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeida in Yemen.

Witnesses in Hodeida heard explosions near the port. According to a security source in Yemen, Houthi facilities were hit in the attack. According to Houthi-controlled media, the targets were the telecom authority and the island of Kamaran.