New Delhi on September 9, 2026, issued a formal condemnation after the Iran‑backed Houthi movement launched a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian civilian and economic installations in the south of the kingdom.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, described the strikes on Saudi sovereign territory as unacceptable, adding that they jeopardise regional security and threaten the free flow of navigation through the Bab‑el‑Mandeb strait.
The Houthi claim, released on September 8, said that energy facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran were targeted as part of a broad operation. Saudi officials confirmed that the assaults ignited fires at several oil and utility sites and left 73 people injured, among them women and children.
Emergency response teams were quickly mobilised to extinguish the blazes, contain spills and assess structural damage. Local authorities reported that the affected zones spanned the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, prompting a coordinated effort among fire‑fighting units and medical services.
Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, asserted that both ballistic missiles and drones were employed against an air base in Khamis Mushait, in addition to the Arco facilities mentioned earlier.
The incident has raised alarms about a possible escalation of the wider West Asia conflict, with implications for regional stability and international trade routes. The Bab‑el‑Mandeb passage, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, remains a critical corridor for global shipping, and any disruption there could reverberate through world markets.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Siasat Gulf