The United States has warned that the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen could escalate rapidly after a missile attack targeted the Saudi capital, Riyadh. The attack, which occurred on Saturday, resulted in a fuel tank on fire near the airport, with loud explosions ringing out in the city. The US State Department has advised American citizens to reconsider travel to and through the region, citing the potential for rapid escalation.
The missile attack on Riyadh is a significant development in the conflict, which has already resulted in hundreds of deaths and over 110,000 displaced people, according to the UN refugee agency. The Houthis' lightning offensive has seized swathes of Yemeni territory, disrupting exports from Saudi Arabia, the world's leading supplier of crude oil, as well as maritime traffic. The conflict has also had a significant impact on the global economy, which is already under pressure.
The US has sent mixed signals on the conflict, with President Donald Trump saying that the Houthis have agreed not to hit US targets, according to Fox News. However, the US State Department has restricted travel for American government employees to the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu, home to a major Red Sea oil export terminal that has previously been targeted by Houthi strikes. The US Central Intelligence Agency Director, John Ratcliffe, met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Sunday.
The conflict has also drawn in other countries, with Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan saying that his country has discussions with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan about possible assistance. Turkey is a partner in a mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Bab al-Mandab strait, a Red Sea waterway crucial to energy flows and global shipping, has become a strategic location in the conflict, with Iran imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia has scrambled to contain the fallout of the Houthis' attacks on its territory, with the Riyadh-led coalition confirming that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis was successfully intercepted and destroyed. However, the coalition added that the pro-Iranian fighters had tried to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in several cities in the west of the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has responded with scores of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas but has failed to stop the fighters' advance in Yemen.
The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that fighters had carried out two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The attack on Riyadh has piled further pressure on a global economy already rocked by seven months of war in the Middle East. According to Andreas Krieg of King's College London, the attack on Riyadh crossed an important psychological threshold.
The conflict is expected to continue to have a significant impact on the global economy, with Iran's top negotiator saying that Tehran had conveyed to the US through mediators its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which it has blockaded throughout the Middle East war. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi set off on Sunday for New York to attend the UN General Assembly. The international community is watching the situation closely, with concerns about the potential for further escalation.
Key points
- The US has warned of rapid escalation in the Middle East conflict after a missile attack on Riyadh.
- The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths and over 110,000 displaced people.
- The international community is watching the situation closely, with concerns about the potential for further escalation.
