Saudi strikes and Houthi attacks intensify as Yemen war escalates

Clashes between Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-aligned Houthis have intensified, with reciprocal air strikes, ground fighting in Taiz, and the first reported death in Saudi territory.

• Houthi rebels said Saudi Arabia launched 26 strikes on territory they control within 24 hours, claiming the total reached 300 over the past week.
• Yemen's Saudi-backed government said its forces killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded more than 60 in clashes in Taiz province's al-Wazi'iyah district.
• Saudi civil defense said a Yemeni resident died when debris from an intercepted Houthi drone fell on Taif, the first death Riyadh has reported in the escalation.
• US officials met Houthi representatives in Muscat, where the group reportedly assured Washington that vessels not linked to Saudi Arabia would not be targeted.
• Government forces launched a counteroffensive on the Taiz-Lahj border after a Houthi infiltration, with heavy fighting on the Jabal Kahbub front overlooking Bab al-Mandab.
• A Houthi drone was shot down in al-Jawf, and warplanes struck Houthi positions in Marib.
• Houthi forces installed radars on mountain ridges near Bab al-Mandab and Zaqar Island, reinforcing positions overlooking the southern Red Sea, Yemeni military sources said.
• Four Iranian Revolutionary Guard experts visited Mokha and the Bab al-Mandab area, meeting Houthi missile commanders, Yemeni military sources said.
• Government forces backed by tribes retook positions lost to the Houthis on Friday on the Taiz-Lahj border, with renewed clashes Saturday after Giants Brigades reinforcements arrived.
• An Italian Eurofighter Typhoon was damaged in an overnight attack on Saudi Arabia's Al-Taif air base, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
• Crosetto said no Italian personnel were injured in the attack, part of escalating Iran-backed Houthi aerial strikes on Saudi Arabia.