Aden (South24 Center)

Houthi-affiliated media reported on Sunday (November 1) that two Saudi airstrikes targeted a facility belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Company in Bajil District, Hodeidah Governorate, western Yemen, injuring three people in the latest escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency cited a local source as saying that the strikes hit the company's facility on Sunday morning, while health authorities affiliated with the group reported that three civilians were injured. The details of the attack and the casualty figures could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate Saudi comment on the incident.

The developments coincided with remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said direct Iranian support had enabled the Houthis to develop their military capabilities and continue activities that destabilize the region.

Speaking at a press conference in Atlanta on Saturday (October 31), Rubio said the United States would continue to fulfill its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia, pointing to ongoing communication and coordination between Washington and Riyadh.

However, he declined to specify whether US forces might participate in military operations against the Houthis, stressing that the decision rested with President Donald Trump.

In a separate diplomatic development, Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba held talks with her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on Sunday on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue 2026. The discussions addressed the Houthi military escalation, the continuing siege of Taiz, and threats to maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

According to Yemen's government-run Saba news agency, the meeting also addressed reports alleging the use of shells suspected of containing toxic substances on some fronts in Taiz, as well as the importance of conducting a specialized technical investigation to verify these allegations. The Turkish foreign minister reaffirmed his country's support for Yemen's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

On the humanitarian front, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock over the death of Yemeni UN staff member Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shami while in Houthi detention, calling for an immediate, impartial, transparent, and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

A UN statement issued on Saturday said Al-Shami, who worked for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), had been detained by the Houthis since June 6, 2024. His family was informed of his death more than a month after it occurred, without receiving an explanation of its cause or circumstances.

This marks the second publicly reported death of a UN staff member in Houthi detention, following the death of a World Food Programme (WFP) employee in February 2025.

Guterres renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of UN personnel and humanitarian workers detained by the group, amid growing concerns over their safety.