Houthi forces fired missiles at the Saudi-led coalition's headquarters inside the presidential palace in Aden on Thursday, striking the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government and the military command directing the war against the Iran-backed group.
The attack targeted Al-Maashiq Palace, where coalition commanders and Yemeni government officials have operated since Saudi Arabia assembled its intervention force in March 2015. There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage to the compound, which sits on a peninsula overlooking Aden's harbor.
The strike represents one of the most direct Houthi challenges yet to the coalition's grip on Aden, the southern port city that serves as the temporary capital of the government ousted from Sanaa in 2014. Houthi military spokesmen have claimed responsibility for the launch, describing it as retaliation for continued Saudi airstrikes on territory the group controls in northern Yemen.
Aden has been the headquarters of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi's government since Houthi fighters overran Sanaa a decade ago. The city's security has deteriorated repeatedly, with bombings and assassinations targeting officials, but direct missile strikes on the presidential palace compound are rare and signal improved Houthi targeting capabilities.
The Houthis have escalated attacks on Saudi and Emirati assets since 2019, deploying drones and ballistic missiles against airports, oil facilities, and military bases. A 2022 UN-brokered truce briefly halted major cross-border strikes, but the agreement lapsed and hostilities resumed.
The coalition has not issued a detailed statement on the Aden strike. Saudi officials have previously characterized such attacks as violations of international law and have vowed to respond with force, though the coalition's public communications have grown more restrained in recent years as it seeks a negotiated exit from the conflict.
Yemen's civil war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. The United Nations has called the humanitarian crisis the world's worst, with roughly 21 million Yemenis — about two-thirds of the population — requiring assistance.
Aden's strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea makes control of the city critical to shipping lanes that carry roughly 12 percent of global trade. Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since late 2023 have disrupted commercial traffic and drawn U.S. and British naval responses, widening the conflict's international footprint.
The missile strike on the palace comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled. Saudi Arabia has engaged in direct talks with Houthi representatives in recent years, but no permanent ceasefire has been reached, and the group continues to demand the lifting of coalition restrictions on Sanaa's airport and ports.
