Houthis Kill 11 in Yemen, Strike Saudi Aramco Refinery
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- Houthi rebels killed at least 11 people — three civilians and eight military personnel — in Yemen's port city of Mokha on Sunday, with over 40 more injured in multiple waves of missile and drone strikes.
- Houthis also struck Saudi Arabia's Jazan oil refinery on the Red Sea coast, operated by Aramco and processing 400,000 barrels per day; Saudi authorities said the fire was extinguished with no injuries reported at the site.
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Jazan strike was launched in response to Saudi drone incursions into northwest Yemen, and claimed the Mokha attacks hit "Saudi enemy" troops and equipment in the area.
- The years-long truce between the Houthis and the internationally recognized Saudi-backed Yemeni government collapsed last month as fighting between regional allies of the US and Iran flared.
- The Houthis have announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia — hitting Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and oil infrastructure — running in parallel with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters: With 400,000 barrels of daily Saudi crude processing capacity at the Jazan refinery targeted and the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade in parallel with Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure, the collapsed Yemen truce now threatens Red Sea shipping — including routes through Mokha specifically upgraded to bypass Houthi-held Hodeida.
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