Houthi representatives stated on Tuesday that overnight airstrikes attributed to Saudi Arabia had struck areas along Yemen's border regions. Broadcasting from territory under rebel control, a satellite news channel reported that the Red Sea island of Kamaran absorbed two separate strikes while a third hit Qanawis, a location lying north of Hodeida port.
Attacks were also reported across Jawf, while the armed group announced that one of its units had brought down a Saudi unmanned aircraft over Saada, a territory it holds. Rocket fire hit the area within hours of warning sirens sounding across Riyadh, a city that has faced repeated attacks over recent days as the armed conflict between the two parties continues to escalate.
Armed conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia dates to 2015, when Riyadh assembled a regional military coalition to intervene in Yemen's civil war against the group, which maintains ties to Iran. Over recent days, drone and missile strikes attributed to the armed group have targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on multiple occasions.
Thirteen people were killed when violence struck that Saturday, a figure that placed the event among the deadliest of its kind the country had recorded in over a decade. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty conveyed to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that the strikes carried out by Houthi forces on the kingdom warranted an immediate halt, stating that no grounds existed to justify them and that they remained unacceptable, while a separate uptick in Houthi operations has been linked by some to the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began on 28 February.
The Houthis, an armed group with documented ties to Iran, have carried out attacks on oil and transport infrastructure in the Gulf region — facilities that Gulf states rely on to move petroleum and gas to international markets. As one of the world's top crude-exporting nations, Saudi Arabia has faced drone and missile attacks by Houthi forces that have put measurable pressure on its ability to route oil through global shipping corridors.
According to the IMF's most recent World Economic Outlook, Saudi Arabia's economy is projected to shrink by 3.3% over the year, a forecast shaped by Iran's reported interference with Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes alongside Houthi operations in the Red Sea and strikes directed at Saudi oil infrastructure and vessels. Faced with a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia redirected petroleum shipments through its inland pipeline network and onto the Red Sea rather than the blocked waterway. Strikes carried out by Houthi forces left a noticeable mark on those areas as well.
Fatalities numbering at least 18 and injuries topping 300 have accumulated over recent days, yet air raid alerts across the kingdom have been discontinued by Saudi authorities. No public statement has addressed the policy shift, though some analysts have attributed the silence to a desire to keep widespread alarm at bay while the nation's defence weaknesses draw closer scrutiny. Some analysts have raised the possibility that the adjustment may deepen rather than resolve the prevailing uncertainty.
Residents lodged noise complaints about overnight alerts, and those notifications were subsequently suspended — a decision that preceded a series of attacks on airport facilities. On Monday, authorities in the kingdom pointed residents toward rules put in place the previous March, which bar the distribution of photographs or footage connected to Houthi aerial assaults — whether depicting intercepted projectiles or ground-level damage at impact sites.
Ratney, who previously served as US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told a news channel that the decision to issue public advisories beginning in May — and then discontinue them on September 29 — reflected an attempt by Riyadh's leadership to manage public communication while avoiding domestic disruption, though the approach ultimately contributed to a climate of uncertainty surrounding Houthi drone and missile attacks.
Following a series of incidents on its territory, Saudi Arabia turned to the United States for assistance, with President Donald Trump among those approached for support. Speaking publicly that Saturday, Trump put forward the idea that he might enter the conflict against the insurgents. A spokesperson for the Houthi movement put forward a position that any involvement by Washington in the conflict would draw retaliatory action against American interests across the region.
