Houthi Escalation in Red Sea Restores Arab Coalition’s Military Operations in Yemen

A drone hit at dawn of Tuesday Taiz International Airport, which is out of operation, intelligence sources told Sheba Intelligence.

The sources said the Houthi air defense forces are stationed in the vicinity of the airport, which is one of the most important sites for storing and launching Houthi missiles and drones, and it is about 100 km from the city of Mocha, a command center of the West Coast forces affiliated with Presidential Leadership Council member Tareq Saleh.

The sources indicated that preliminary information indicates that the drone took off from the Mayon military base overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait and is believed to have been conducted by the UAE army. The sources added that the drone carried out three strikes without causing any material damage to the Houthi forces.

On Sunday, Saudi artillery struck a center believed to be for Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles in the Shada area in the Saada border province. The strike came after information about a Houthi attack on a Saudi military force in Dhahran al-Janub.

The Emirati-Saudi escalation against the Houthis is considered the first of its kind since the start of the truce in April 2022. The Houthi maneuvers and attacks on the Yemeni-Saudi border have not stopped over the past few months.

On Monday, Tareq Saleh met with a Saudi military delegation led by Brigadier General Hussein Awad Al-Harbi. The delegation included Duty Force 802 commanders stationed in Aden and the Saudi Naval Force stationed on Mayon Island. According to state media, the meeting discussed the readiness of the Yemeni naval forces and coast guard to secure and protect Yemen’s maritime borders within the region’s efforts on both banks of the Red Sea to maintain the security and safety of the region.

The Chief of Staff of the Yemeni Army, Saghir bin Aziz, also met on Monday with the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, Lieutenant General Mutlaq Al-Azima, and they discussed field developments in light of regional and international developments and the hostile actions of the Houthi group, according to state media outlets.

These developments come in parallel with the Houthi escalation in the Red Sea against Israeli ships or other vessels sailing from or to Israeli ports. The Houthis say they will continue their attacks until Israel stops its war on Gaza in Palestine.

The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) warned ships of suspicious activity claiming to be from the Yemeni Navy, asking vessels in the Red Sea to “alter course”. The UKMTO advised vessels to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

US Central Command said in a statement that the tanker Strinda was attacked by an anti-ship cruise missile launched from an area controlled by the Houthis in Yemen while it was passing through Bab al-Mandab. According to the US Central Command, the STRINDA reported damage causing a fire on board, but no casualties were reported. The USS Mason responded to the Motor Tanker Strinda‘s distress call and rendered assistance.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group targeted the ship because it was “loaded with oil” bound for Israel.

The Norwegian Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker, was on its way to Italy, according to ship-tracking data. The vessel is part of the fleet of Bergen-based shipping firm Mowinckels Rederi, according to its website.