Saudi Arabia Launches Massive Airstrikes on Houthi Rebels; Trump Hints at Intervention After Midterms

[Anchor]

The Saudi-led coalition has launched intense airstrikes against Houthi strongholds. This retaliation comes after an attack on an airport a few days ago resulted in casualties. As the Houthis counterattacked, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of intervention following the midterm elections.

Reporting from Washington, this is correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam.

[Reporter]

Pillars of fire soar from Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, which is controlled by Houthi rebels.

On October 13 local time, the Saudi-led coalition airstruck facilities including a Yemen Oil Company base and an underground reserve fuel storage site.

The massive retaliatory strikes came after the Houthis launched consecutive attacks on the international airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, causing over 300 casualties.

[Saudi Broadcasting (local time Oct. 13): A civilian evacuation warning will soon be issued to carry out a specific operation in an area of Sana'a.]

The Houthis also retaliated by attacking an oil field region in eastern Saudi Arabia, where a ballistic missile struck the headquarters of the state-run oil company Aramco, causing a fire in the building.

[Mahdi al-Mashat / Head of Houthi Supreme Political Council: We will recover our national wealth and drive out all occupiers who have entered our land.]

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the Houthi rebels "are attacking Saudi Arabia in a very vicious manner," adding, "It is likely at the direction of Iran and intended to drive up oil prices before the midterm elections."

He also hinted at the possibility of retaliation after the midterm elections concluded.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: (Have you made a decision on a Houthi rebel attack?) They are acting in a very vicious manner.]

However, direct U.S. military involvement and an expansion of the front lines pose a significant burden.

Instead, President Trump stated that he could ask countries like Türkiye to provide military support to Saudi Arabia.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: I think President Erdogan (of Türkiye) would grant my request. I respect him a very great deal.]

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that 24 vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz over a two-week period up to October 11, marking the highest number of attacks since the outbreak of the war.

Reuters analyzed that "Iran is intensifying vessel attacks in the Strait of Hormuz to thwart efforts by the United States and its allies to lower oil prices."

(Video reporting: Oh Jung-shik, Video editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Byun Dayoung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.