Yemen’s Houthi movement fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after it accused the kingdom of bombing an airport under its control on Monday, breaking a four-year ceasefire in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-backed group.
Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles “launched by the Houthi terrorist militia towards the southern region,” a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said on X.
Houthi army spokesman Yahya Saree said they were targeting the Abha international airport in Saudi Arabia, the capital of the southern mountainous region bordering Yemen where many Saudis escape the summer heat.
The attacks are the first claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since the unofficial agreement came into effect in March 2022 following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure.
Monday’s violence threatened a new conflict on Saudi Arabia’s southern border after Iranian drone and missile attacks targeted its eastern territories and Riyadh eased following an April accord on the Iran conflict.
The country’s size compared to other smaller Gulf states meant it fared better during the war, continuing to transport oil via pipeline from the east to its west coast on the Red Sea, via the Strait of Hormuz. A major conflict with the Houthis, who previously targeted Red Sea shipping, could challenge that.
