Houthi Missile and Drone Attacks on Saudi Arabia Threaten Red Sea Trade
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Security
Why in news
Yemen's Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco sites in Yanbu and Jizan after Saudi airstrikes on Hodeida. This escalation threatens the Bab el-Mandeb strait, through which 12% of global trade passes, amid rising US-Iran tensions.
Background
The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen since 2014. The Bab el-Mandeb strait is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Recent US-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz have added to regional instability.
Key facts
Houthis fired missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan.
Attack was in response to Saudi airstrikes on Hodeida, a strategic Red Sea city.
Houthis threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping.
Bab el-Mandeb sees 12% of global trade, including a quarter of container traffic.
Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea earlier this week.
Saudi airstrikes hit Hodeida port and telecommunications corporation, injuring two.
Iran called for diplomacy, while condemning a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.
Ukraine claimed long-range strikes hit vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.
Prelims pointers
- Bab el-Mandeb Strait: connects Red Sea to Gulf of Aden.
- Houthi rebels: Iran-backed group controlling parts of Yemen.
- Aramco: Saudi Arabian oil company, world's largest.
- Yanbu and Jizan: Red Sea cities in Saudi Arabia.
- Hodeida: strategic port city in Yemen.
- Strait of Hormuz: vital oil chokepoint, subject of US-Iran tensions.
Mains angles
- GS2: India's strategic interests in the Red Sea and Gulf region; impact on energy security and trade.
- GS3: Geopolitical implications of Houthi attacks on global shipping and energy markets.
- GS2: Role of Iran and Saudi Arabia in regional instability; India's diplomatic balancing.
- GS3: Maritime security and chokepoints; threats to global trade routes.