Houthis claim missile strikes on southern Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile strike targeting the southern Saudi Arabian city of Jizan.

The rebels issued threats of retaliation against the kingdom after Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally, conducted strikes on Houthi military positions earlier in the week. The Houthis had previously announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, and reported hitting its ships in the Red Sea.

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will not go unanswered

The Houthis' Ansarollah media reported that fires erupted in Jizan following what they described as a "Yemeni missile attack." Civil defense in Riyadh issued brief warnings to residents in Jizan and Yanbu regarding potential danger, though these warnings were quickly lifted.

This latest flare-up represents a new dimension in the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has intensified following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran in February. It occurs alongside Iran's separate blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia's other critical maritime route.

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Yemeni missile attack