OMM Redaksiyası
Saudi Arabia is facing security pressure from both sides of the Arabian Peninsula. While the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted shipping and energy flows in the Gulf, fighting has intensified in western Yemen, with the Houthis returning to direct confrontation with the kingdom.
According to the Saudi authorities, more than 70 people have been injured in recent Houthi missile and drone attacks. The strikes targeted civilian and economic facilities in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran. Saudi officials described the attacks as a dangerous escalation and said a response would follow.
Why did the Houthis launch attacks now?
The attacks are largely linked to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Yemen. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on a detention facility in Al Hazm, the capital of Al Jawf province, and said seven people were killed. Saudi Arabia has not publicly confirmed the report.
However, several hours later, the Houthis launched attacks on Saudi territory. The timing suggests that the move may have been intended as retaliation. The details of the reported strike on the detention facility remain disputed.
The escalation is also linked to broader calculations. Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia are advancing against the Houthis on several fronts, including Al Jawf and Taiz, as well as along the Red Sea coast. More than 300 people have reportedly been killed in recent clashes near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Yemeni government has also openly expressed its intention to retake Sanaa, which the Houthis seized in 2014. Attacks on Saudi territory raise the cost of these operations for the Houthis. Riyadh is the main foreign military and political supporter of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Threat of a blockade in the Red Sea
By attacking Saudi cities, energy facilities and shipping, the Houthis are seeking to extend the impact of the conflict beyond the Yemeni battlefield. This strategy took shape after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi vessels in the Red Sea in July.
The blockade is reportedly aimed at achieving two objectives: restricting Saudi military operations and exerting economic pressure on the kingdom. At the same time, it creates risks in another important maritime passage while the Strait of Hormuz is under severe pressure.
The Red Sea is particularly important to Saudi Arabia. During the Hormuz crisis, the country uses western ports and the East-West oil pipeline to reduce its dependence on Gulf routes for energy exports. The Houthi blockade threat places this alternative route under pressure as well.
How did Saudi Arabia and the Houthis become enemies?
The conflict in Yemen emerged from the country’s internal political struggle. The Houthis, members of Yemen’s Zaydi Shiite community in the north, began fighting the government in 2004. Riyadh intervened directly in the conflict after the Houthis crossed the Saudi border in 2009.
The main turning point came in 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and expanded their control across northern Yemen. In March 2015, a regional coalition led by Saudi Arabia began supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Iran later expanded its military and technical support for the Houthis.
Although a UN-backed ceasefire in 2022 halted most major cross-border fighting, no final political agreement was reached. The latest escalation has ended a period of relative calm and brought Saudi Arabia and the Houthis back into direct confrontation.
