Houthi Attacks Escalate Tensions in Middle East; Saudi Arabia Vows Response
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement has launched missile strikes on Saudi airports and oil facilities, prompting a vow of retaliation from Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia's energy minister has pledged a response to recent attacks targeting the kingdom's airports and oil and gas infrastructure, carried out by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for missile strikes that hit multiple locations across Riyadh, resulting in at least 14 fatalities and over 300 injuries in two separate attacks on the city's airport. The group also announced strikes on oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia, according to their military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree.
In a statement, the Houthis asserted that these attacks were launched in retaliation for what they described as "brutal Saudi aggression" against areas under their control in western Yemen. The ongoing conflict and the Houthi's asymmetric tactics, characterized by precision strikes and guerrilla warfare, have presented significant challenges for Saudi forces seeking to gain a strategic advantage, according to the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.