The Saudi-led coalition announced on Friday that it had carried out a "proportionate military response" against what it called "legitimate military targets" in Yemen's western Hodeidah province, amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Red Sea.

In a statement, the coalition's Joint Forces Command said the operation did not target Hodeidah Port, insisting that all Yemeni ports remain open to maritime navigation. The coalition added that it would continue taking operational measures to safeguard Saudi vessels, national interests, and strategic assets.

The announcement followed reports from local sources that Saudi warplanes launched a series of airstrikes across Hodeidah province, including attacks near the port, telecommunications facilities in Hodeidah city, and Kamaran Island in the Red Sea.

According to Yemen's SABA news agency, a woman was injured during the strikes on Kamaran Island. Meanwhile, a source at Yemen's Defense Ministry in Sanaa claimed that Yemeni air defense systems forced several Saudi military formations to withdraw from Yemeni airspace.

Yemen's Foreign Ministry in Sanaa strongly condemned the attacks, warning that targeting Hodeidah marked the beginning of a new phase in the conflict based on the principle of "escalation for escalation."

The ministry said Saudi Arabia would bear full responsibility for any consequences stemming from what it described as a "criminal step," accusing Riyadh of opting for military escalation instead of responding to Yemen's calls for lifting the blockade.

The ministry characterized the strikes as a "grave folly" that would have significant repercussions, warning that the latest developments could fundamentally alter the trajectory of the confrontation.

The latest escalation comes after authorities in Sanaa announced a reciprocal naval blockade targeting Saudi ports along the Red Sea, describing the move as a response to renewed Saudi restrictions and the longstanding blockade imposed on Yemen.

Sanaa officials said the measure was intended to counter what they described as ongoing economic and maritime pressure, warning that Saudi commercial interests in the Red Sea would face increasing risks unless restrictions on Yemen were lifted.

The exchange marks one of the most serious escalations between the two sides in recent months and comes nearly 11 years after the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen began. The blockade and control of Yemen's ports continue to remain among the central and most contentious issues driving the prolonged conflict. (ILKHA)