Saudi-led coalition strikes Yemen’s Hodeidah in wake of refinery attacks claimed by Houthis

The Saudi-led coalition has launched a new military operation north of Hodeidah, the crucial port city where nearly all of Yemen’s scarce food and other supplies are delivered, against what it called “legitimate military targets,” state-run Ekhbariya TV reported on Friday.

The coalition put out a call to civilians to keep clear of the operation’s targets, even though it is unclear how much of the Yemeni population – 80 percent of which are in various states of humanitarian crisis after more than five years of bombardment – would watch Saudi television to know what sites to stay away from.

The operation comes on the heels of a major attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest oil processing plants in Abqaiq and Khurais last Saturday, which Riyadh has blamed on Iran despite an absence of proof. Iran has denied involvement, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for both strikes.

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