India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns of threat to Bab-el-Mandeb navigation

India's condemnation

India on Wednesday condemned the latest wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying the strikes undermined regional security and stability. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, responding to media queries on the reported attacks, said India condemned 'the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, especially the targeting of civilian and economic facilities.' He added that such attacks, which 'undermined regional security and stability and threatened freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb,' were 'unacceptable.'

The remarks came as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched dozens of drones and missiles at targets across southwestern Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi authorities. Jaiswal's statement was the first official Indian response since the Houthis said they had targeted energy facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco as part of a 'broad operation.'

The attacks were also discussed at a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. 'Our External Affairs Minister did have a meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. He discussed several issues—regional developments as also international developments—and the issue of the Houthis was also discussed,' the MEA spokesperson said.

The attacks and their toll

Saudi authorities said the strikes triggered fires at multiple oil installations and utility sites, injuring 73 people, including women and children. The attacks struck the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, causing temporary shutdowns at some oil sites and forcing a halt to some operations, according to Saudi Arabia's military and energy ministry. The Houthis, who control major populous parts of Yemen, have been launching attacks towards Saudi Arabia since they declared a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting its vessels in the Red Sea.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it would respond to what it described as a 'dangerous escalation.' Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki al-Maliki said civilian and economic sites had been targeted and described the attacks as a 'blatant violation' of Saudi sovereignty.

Regional and international responses

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday condemned the Houthis' targeting of civilian and economic assets in Abha, Jazan, Khamis Mushait and Najran, and denounced ongoing attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In a statement shared on X, the ministry said the kingdom 'reiterated its categorical rejection of the hostile approach and criminal conduct persistently pursued by this militia in threatening the security and stability of the brotherly Republic of Yemen and its Arab and Islamic surroundings.' Saudi Arabia affirmed its legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and warned against 'the consequences of the terrorist Houthi militia's continued targeting of innocent civilians,' calling for enforcement of UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2216 and Resolution 2722.

Pakistan said there should be 'no ambiguity' that an attack on any one of the three members of the newly formed Makkah Defence Alliance would be treated as an attack on all. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said any unprovoked aggression against a member state, or a spillover of the Yemen conflict into Saudi Arabia, would activate the collective-defence provisions of the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Asif stressed the agreement was defensive in nature and did not authorise the three countries to launch attacks on their own initiative.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Houthis as an Iranian proxy and said there was 'clearly' an Iranian hand behind some of the attacks. 'The Houthis, in many ways, are agents and proxies of the Iranians,' Rubio said.

Strategic stakes

India's concerns extend beyond the attacks themselves, particularly because of their potential impact on shipping and regional stability. Jaiswal said India hopes for 'early restoration of peace and stability in the region,' while noting that India continues to receive energy supplies from that part of the world. Saudi Arabia remains among India's top three energy suppliers despite India's increased purchases of Russian oil.

The Bab-el-Mandeb, meaning 'Gate of Tears,' lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Southern Saudi Arabia hosts crucial energy infrastructure, including the Jizan refinery with the capacity to process 400,000 barrels of crude a day. The importance of the Bab-el-Mandeb has grown for Saudi energy exports following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Between March and July, Saudi seaborne crude exports through the Bab al-Mandeb were eight times higher than during the same period in 2025, according to a report.

Fighting between the Iran-aligned Houthis and pro-Saudi forces has sharply escalated in recent days, with hostilities seen as the most serious since a UN-brokered ceasefire halted widespread fighting in 2022. The Houthis have claimed their strikes are in response to the Saudi escalation, with reports of Saudi airstrikes on areas of Yemen. The conflict has repeatedly spilt beyond Yemen's borders, threatening critical energy infrastructure and maritime trade routes.