Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Thursday claimed they carried out drone attacks targeting Najran Airport and an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s
southern Najran region, near the Yemeni border. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had launched two drone operations, claiming the first targeted a “sensitive” site at Najran Airport while the second targeted an Aramco facility in the region. The claims have not been independently verified. Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia The reported attacks come as tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia continue to escalate. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that Riyadh would be “unable to contain” the Houthi movement as attacks against the kingdom intensify. The Houthis have increasingly targeted Saudi airports, oil infrastructure and maritime interests amid the widening regional conflict. Earlier Aramco attack claimed by Houthis The Houthis also claimed responsibility on August 9 for a drone attack targeting an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region. Saree said at the time that the group had targeted an Aramco refinery with a drone, describing the strike as precise. Saudi authorities later reported that a fire had broken out at the Aramco facility in Jazan. The blaze was extinguished by industrial security firefighting teams, with no injuries reported. Houthis threaten Bab al-Mandab The latest developments come amid concerns over the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. A Yemeni government minister told AFP that the Houthis were planning to seize territory along the strait, potentially giving the group greater ability to threaten shipping. Three Houthi military sources and a spokesperson for Yemeni government forces operating near the waterway also said the rebels were preparing to advance south from their current positions. Middle East tensions escalate The renewed Houthi attacks come as the broader Middle East conflict continues to intensify. The US military has also increased its naval presence in the region, with a new carrier strike group arriving amid heightened security concerns and ongoing hostilities. The latest Houthi claims, if confirmed, could further increase pressure on Saudi Arabia and raise fresh concerns over the security of regional energy infrastructure and major shipping routes.
