The Houthi militant group announced on Sunday that they had launched missiles and drones against several sensitive sites across Saudi Arabia, including in the capital Riyadh. This latest escalation marks a renewed conflict between the Houthis and the kingdom. The attacks were in retaliation for recent Saudi-led coalition attacks on Yemen.
Flames and a large column of black smoke were seen rising near King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, as flights were delayed and canceled. Saudi Arabia's air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile headed toward Riyadh and thwarted several other attacks. The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, stated that the group also targeted facilities belonging to state oil giant Saudi Aramco in the western city of Yanbu.
The conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has been ongoing since 2015, when Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthis. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 had largely subsided large-scale fighting, but the conflict erupted again this summer after an airport in Houthi-controlled Sanaa was bombed. The Houthis blamed Riyadh for the bombing and declared the ceasefire over.
The Houthis, officially known as the Ansarullah movement, currently control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country's north and west. They have since seized key territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most important shipping routes. Saudi-led forces have responded with renewed airstrikes inside Yemen.
Saudi political analyst Faisal Alshammeri stated that the latest attacks could force Riyadh to respond more strongly despite its efforts to avoid being dragged back into a major ground war in Yemen. The escalation could become the first major test of the Mecca defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. Alshammeri predicted that Ankara and Islamabad would provide intelligence and air-defense support rather than join direct attacks on the Houthis.
The renewed Yemen conflict has increasingly entangled with the wider US-Israeli war on Iran. The Houthis openly sided with Tehran earlier this year, while fighting around the Strait of Hormuz has forced Saudi Arabia to rely increasingly on Red Sea oil routes now threatened by the Houthi advance. This has kept oil prices high, with Brent futures trading around $104 on Friday.
The Houthis have explicitly warned other countries against joining the Saudi campaign. Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti stated that the group could fight on multiple fronts if foreign states became involved. However, he insisted that their current operations in the Red Sea are directed at Saudi Arabia rather than US or other foreign vessels.
Key points
- The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are in retaliation for recent Saudi-led coalition attacks on Yemen.
- The conflict has led to increased tensions in the region, with potential implications for global oil supplies.
- The Houthis have warned other countries against joining the Saudi campaign, stating they could fight on multiple fronts if necessary.
