For the first time since the Yemen war relaunched in July, Houthi forces aligned with Iran have launched attacks against the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, in a bid to warn the oil-rich country and take the conflict to the heart of the region.
An alert was issued by the Saudi civil defense for residents of Riyadh as well as other areas surrounding the city at around 3:00 AM local time (midnight GMT) on Saturday. Residents were instructed to seek cover within nearest buildings or shelters until the alert was lifted thirty minutes later. No confirmation has been given by the authorities on the origin or nature of the threat.
Yemen Iran-aligned Houthi group struck the Saudi capital of Riyadh for the first time since the war in Yemen restarted in July, marking a dramatic escalation in the conflict. The group has in recent days widened its attacks from the maritime domain and struck locations deep inside Saudi Arabia. It has also seized control of the Mokha port as well as Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, allowing it to influence Red Sea shipping. Alert warnings had previously been issued for Islam holy city of Mecca and the port city of Jeddah, but never for Riyadh — the capital and political and economic center of Saudi Arabia.
New data from shipping analytics provider Kpler shows that Saudi oil exports moving through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have decreased dramatically since July. However, within the last week, five loaded vessels successfully made their way through the waterway. The Houthis Red Sea blockade does not extend to commercial shipping traveling under a flag other than Saudi, the group claims.
The Iran-backed Houthi military also claimed responsibility for launching a barrage of missiles and drones on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, as well as on the King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. They also said they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet in Marib province. The Saudi military responded with airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen Taiz and Hajjah provinces.
In a significant development, reports are emerging that Saudi Arabia has for the first time employed Chinese-made ballistic missiles against the Houthis in Yemen, confirming to the world that the Middle East conflict is now becoming a theater for the export of Chinese conventional weaponry.
The conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi militant group, an Iran proxy force in Yemen, began in 2014 when the group seized the capital Sanaa. A fragile peace agreement reached in 2022 collapsed in July when the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen in defiance of Saudi-controlled airspace arrangements.
The US has declined a Saudi request to conduct strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi group, Axios reported last week, leaving the Saudi military to fight the expanding war in Yemen largely on its own.
