The Saudi-led coalition said the operation was a proportionate military response against legitimate Houthi targets, while stressing that Hodeidah Port and other Yemeni ports were not targeted.

Sheba Intelligence | July 25, 2026

The Saudi-led coalition announced that it had carried out what it described as a “proportionate military response” against legitimate Houthi military targets in Hodeidah Governorate following attacks on Saudi-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki said the Houthis had targeted commercial ships, causing limited damage, and stressed that Saudi Arabia would continue confronting threats to maritime navigation and protecting shipping routes.

Al-Malki said Hodeidah Port was not targeted, adding that Yemen’s ports, including Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Al-Salif, remain open to commercial traffic and the delivery of food, fuel and construction materials.

He said the strikes focused on Houthi military targets linked to the recent attacks and were carried out in accordance with the rules of engagement, international humanitarian law and the principle of proportionality, with measures taken to limit collateral damage.

The coalition statement provides the first official confirmation that the strikes in Hodeidah were part of a military response to attacks on Saudi shipping, although it did not identify the specific sites that were hit.

Earlier, Sheba Intelligence reported that the strikes targeted warehouses belonging to the Public Telecommunications Corporation in Hodeidah, as well as drone storage and preparation sites on Kamaran Island used to support attacks against vessels in the Red Sea.

Sheba Intelligence also reported that a site near Hodeidah Port was struck, with a large fire observed close to oil storage facilities, while aircraft continued operating over the area.

The strikes followed Houthi missile launches toward Saudi Arabia from several coastal positions. According to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence, at least three missiles were fired from the Al-Jarr coastal area, while one failed during launch and exploded at the site, exposing the launch position.

Before the latest escalation, Sheba Intelligence had documented a Houthi naval, missile and drone network extending across Hodeidah, Al-Luhayyah and Kamaran Island, including radar systems, surveillance equipment, explosive unmanned vessels and facilities used to store and launch drones.