The Saudi-Houthi escalation threatens to expand security risks in the Red Sea
Saudi Arabia intercepted drones and missiles targeting Riyadh and southern regions of the Kingdom on Sunday, according to an announcement by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. This comes as military escalation continues with the Iran-allied Houthi group, amid broader regional repercussions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Saudi civil defense authorities issued emergency alerts in Riyadh, Abha, and Khamis Mushait before announcing that the danger had passed minutes later. The coalition stated that two drones and a ballistic missile were launched toward the capital, Riyadh, while a cruise missile targeted the city of Khamis Mushait in the south. It later added that it had intercepted ten ballistic missiles launched toward southern Saudi Arabia.
This coincides with renewed Houthi threats to target King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which resumed operations in two terminals starting Sunday, following a suspension of activities after an attack earlier this month.
Houthis renew their threats to the airport
The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the group attacked King Khalid International Airport and Saudi oil facilities on Saturday, labeling the airport a "military target" and confirming that operations aimed at targeting it would continue. He also warned airlines, airport staff, and passengers against using it.
Saudi authorities did not issue a direct comment on the Houthis' claim of responsibility for Saturday's attacks.
Late that same day, the airport announced the allocation of Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers, effective Sunday, in a move reflecting the resumption of partial operations after they had been halted since October 10.
The airport had suspended its operations following an attack for which the Houthis claimed responsibility, which, according to reports, resulted in the death of 13 people and the injury of more than 300 others, in one of the deadliest attacks inside the Kingdom in over a decade.
Military escalation threatens maritime corridors
Saudi airstrikes on Houthi positions have intensified after the group seized strategic areas on the Red Sea coast last month, moving closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the vital maritime corridors for global trade and oil shipments from Gulf countries.
The developments gain additional significance in light of the tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, as the escalation in the Red Sea places other routes for energy transport and international trade at increasing security risk, at a time when regional confrontations are overlapping with the trajectory of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The collapse of the truce brings confrontations back to the forefront
Renewed fighting has undermined the UN-brokered truce in Yemen, which had largely held since 2022, following years of confrontations between the Houthis and forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Saudi Arabia had intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015, leading a military coalition to support the government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The continuation of mutual attacks indicates a renewed confrontation on the Yemeni front, coinciding with the widening scope of regional tension, while the protection of vital facilities, airports, and maritime corridors remains one of the most prominent security challenges facing the Kingdom at the current stage.
