RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government has released aerial footage dated Oct. 16 showing what it described as strikes targeting a Houthi weapons-smuggling operation in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
The nearly six-minute black-and-white video, bearing the date and location at its opening, shows apparent airstrikes hitting trucks, small boats and what appear to be storage facilities.
The footage was posted on X by coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki shortly before midnight on Saturday. The coalition did not provide further details in the video about the specific targets, the weapons allegedly being smuggled or the extent of the damage.
Hodeidah, on Yemen’s western coast, is a strategically important port on the Red Sea and has been a focal point of the country’s conflict. The city and surrounding areas are under Houthi control, making the reported strikes significant amid concerns over weapons transfers and threats to regional maritime security.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement has been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since seizing the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. After months of political tensions and growing unrest, Houthi fighters advanced into the capital and took control of key government institutions, prompting the collapse of the existing political transition.
The group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia, targeting military installations and civilian infrastructure. In recent months, Houthi attacks have included a deadly strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that reportedly killed 13 people.
The Houthis have also threatened to disrupt maritime traffic through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a strategic chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The passage is a key route for international shipping and energy supplies traveling between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal.
Disruption to traffic through Bab Al-Mandab could force commercial vessels to take longer alternative routes, raising shipping costs and putting further pressure on global supply chains.
The coalition’s latest footage comes as Saudi Arabia continues to support Yemen’s internationally recognized government and confront Houthi military activity. The movement’s continued control of Sanaa and other parts of northern Yemen remains a major obstacle to a comprehensive political settlement.