Saudi Arabia calls for maximum restraint after unprecedented Israeli attack on Yemen, US-UK coalition "takes action" again

Yemen and Saudi Arabia have issued responses after an unprecedented Israeli retaliatory attack on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Smoke and flames rise from a site in Hodeidah port, Yemen, following an Israeli strike in retaliation for Houthi attacks. (Source: AP)

In recent days, the Israeli army and the Houthi forces that control most of Yemen have repeatedly retaliated against each other, causing tensions to escalate.

On July 20, the Israeli military carried out unprecedented airstrikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port, killing six people and injuring more than 80 others. The airstrikes were believed to be in retaliation for a Houthi attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv the day before that killed one person and injured eight.

Anadolu news agency reported that on July 21, the Yemeni government criticized this Israeli attack, describing the military action from Tel Aviv as a "violation of the sovereignty" of the country on the Red Sea coast.

The Yemeni government statement said this action violated international law and norms, emphasizing that Israel would be fully responsible for any consequences stemming from the airstrike, which risks exacerbating the current humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The Yemeni government also expressed concern that the attacks could strengthen the position of the Houthis, who have maintained control of the port of Hodeidah since October 2014, and officially called on the international community and the United Nations Security Council to act to protect global peace and security.

On the same day, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry also called on relevant parties to exercise restraint after Israel's attack, stating that Israel's attack on the city of Hodeidah "exacerbates current tensions in the region and hinders ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza."

In a related development, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV channel reported that on July 21, warplanes from the US-UK naval coalition conducted six airstrikes on two ports under the control of this force in western Yemen.

Specifically, the US-UK coalition carried out four airstrikes on Ras Issa port in Hodeidah city, northwest Yemen, and two other attacks on Midi port in neighboring Hajjah province, north of Hodeidah.

Up to now, the US-UK military alliance has not made any comments on the incident.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have carried out numerous drone and missile attacks on Israeli-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November last year in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the US-UK naval coalition, stationed in the waters since January 2024, has carried out airstrikes and missile attacks on Houthi targets in retaliation. As a result, the Houthis have increased attacks on US and UK commercial and naval vessels.

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