On Friday night, October 16th, two missiles struck the international airport in Aden, a major port city in southern Yemen, causing emergency evacuation of passengers on board. The Yemeni government condemned the attack carried out by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. This marks the second missile attack on the airport in less than 10 days.
Simultaneously, a Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the vital Red Sea oil export hub of Yanbu. The escalating situation in the Middle East has driven up international oil prices, with Brent crude prices briefly surging to $110 per barrel.
Yemeni authorities and security forces reported that when the missiles hit the airport area, a Yemenia Airways plane bound for Cairo was on the runway preparing for takeoff. The impact site was only about 500 meters away from the plane, prompting swift evacuation of all passengers on board, thankfully avoiding any casualties.
In response, the Yemeni Ministry of Transportation issued a statement, labeling the attack as part of the Houthi militia’s “systematic upgrading targeting critical facilities and national assets,” criticizing their intentions to endanger civilian safety. Military officials associated with the Houthi militia claimed that their target was a military facility adjacent to the airport housing a Saudi-led coalition command center and ammunition depot.
This incident is the second major attack in Aden within two days. On Thursday, Houthi rebels had launched an attack on a palace complex in Aden, resulting in at least 5 fatalities. Prior to this, on October 7th, Aden airport had also been hit by two missiles, fortunately without causing any casualties.
Meanwhile, as the attack on the Yemeni airport unfolded, the Saudi-led military coalition announced that they had intercepted a ballistic missile in the skies over Yanbu, a critical oil export gateway on the Red Sea that enables Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz for global oil shipments. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely impacted since the US and Israel’s actions against Iran in February this year.
With heightened maritime security risks and concerns over global energy supply, the international benchmark Brent crude price briefly touched $110 per barrel on Friday, marking the highest since May this year.
In the early hours of Saturday, the Saudi Civil Defense department issued air defense alerts for Abha in the southwest, which were later lifted; prior to this, Jazan and Khamis Mushait had also experienced frequent alerts. Additionally, the Saudi coalition announced the destruction of two Houthi missile launchers in the eastern part of Saada in northwest Yemen.
International relief organizations have warned that the ongoing clashes are rapidly deteriorating the humanitarian situation in Yemen. A Houthi health ministry spokesperson claimed that since the escalation of conflicts on September 3rd, “124 civilians have died, and 327 have been injured.”
In 2014, the Houthi rebels captured the Yemeni capital Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized Yemeni government to relocate to the south. The Saudi-led coalition launched military intervention the following year, leading to years of confrontation until a ceasefire agreement was reached in 2022. However, in July this year, the Houthi rebels announced a blockade against Saudi Arabia, frequently targeting airports, oil facilities, and military targets inside Saudi territory, resulting in 19 fatalities and severe disruptions to flight operations.
Currently, the Houthi rebels have further seized coastal areas along the Mandeb Strait, while the Saudi coalition launched a large-scale military offensive this month in an attempt to reclaim this strategic chokepoint.