The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran‑backed Houthi rebels reported a successful operation in Houthi‑controlled territory of Yemen on Monday. According to Maj. Gen. Turki al‑Malki, coalition forces destroyed five tunnels used to store ballistic missiles, four missile launchers and an additional missile storage facility. The strike was intended to degrade the rebels’ ability to launch attacks inside the kingdom and to cut their supply lines.
Coalition vows continued deterrence
Al‑Malki posted on X that the coalition will keep employing “deterrent operational measures” to protect Saudi citizens from what he described as the Houthis’ “brutal attacks” both within Saudi borders and across Yemen. The statement underscores the administration’s commitment to regional stability and the safety of families living near the conflict zone.
Houthi claims of hospital attacks
Yemen’s Houthi‑run Health Ministry claimed that Saudi‑backed forces hit a hospital in the Red Sea port city of Mokha and a children’s hospital in Taiz province. The ministry said the Mokha facility suffered extensive damage, though it offered no casualty figures and provided no independent evidence. The Associated Press could not verify the allegations. Two Mokha residents, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, described damage to a general hospital and nearby homes after a rocket struck a residential building. No immediate comment was offered by the Saudi‑backed forces.
Houthi missile launches against Yemeni government forces
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree asserted that the rebels fired ballistic missiles at military gatherings and weapons depots belonging to Saudi‑backed Yemeni government forces in Aden and Lahj provinces. The claims remain unverified, and the Yemeni government has not supplied evidence to support its own accusations that the Houthis targeted displacement camps near Aden.
Israel denies internal clash over Iran policy
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed reports of a disagreement between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military over a planned “action” against Iran as “completely baseless and false.” Katz added on X that Israel has no intention to strike Iran before the national elections on Tuesday, but warned that Israel would respond “with great force” if Iran were to attack first. Earlier reports suggested a clash between the prime minister and the chief of staff over the proposed action, but Netanyahu’s office later labeled those reports as “fake news.”
Regional cooperation and warnings
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met in Tehran on Monday to discuss continued cooperation on regional peace and security, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. The quadrilateral gathering, hosted by Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, included Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s armed forces chief Gen. Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. No date for a follow‑up meeting was announced.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that renewed attacks on Iran would destabilize the region and raise fuel prices, emphasizing the broader economic impact of any escalation.
U.N. chief alarms over West Bank settlement surge
U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres, speaking in Cairo, expressed deep alarm at rising Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank. He called for the removal of restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza and urged the Security Council to advance its peace plan, warning that the specter of ethnic cleansing is growing.
Guterres also highlighted the need for stability around Iran, the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen’s Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, underscoring the interconnected nature of regional security.
Egypt backs Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks
Egyptian parliament approved President Abdel‑Fattah al‑Sissi’s request to provide support to Saudi Arabia in countering Houthi attacks. The decision reflects concerns that Egypt could become drawn into Yemen’s protracted conflict, and the country’s highest security body pledged “all necessary and possible forms of support” to protect Saudi security, resources and Islamic holy sites.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
