The Houthis of Yemen, aligned with Iran, have initiated a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia and are strengthening their positions along the western coast of Yemen by the Red Sea. These developments come as urgent negotiations in Riyadh are underway regarding how to respond to the rapid advances of the Houthis.
Houthi Military Actions and Saudi Response
On Monday, the Houthis announced that they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia. These attacks targeted aircraft storage facilities, radar systems, runways, and ammunition depots in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. Saudi officials issued emergency alerts in three southern cities as well as in Khamis Mushait. According to reports from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, thirteen civilians were injured in these attacks.
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Pressure on Saudi Oil Exports and Global Impacts
The recent advances of the Houthis, including the capture of Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, have placed additional pressure on Saudi oil exports. This comes as an airstrike on Thursday damaged the East-West pipeline in Saudi Arabia, causing it to halt operations. Riyadh has attributed this attack to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. This pipeline, which is 1,200 kilometers long, was built to bypass the Strait of Hormuz in the 1980s.
Traders have warned that a prolonged shutdown of this pipeline could cut 4 percent of global oil supply, while the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked. Saudi Arabia has not yet announced when operations will resume. In response to the Houthi attacks, the Saudi and Yemeni air forces have increased their airstrikes on Houthi targets, but the Houthis maintain effective control over nearly all of the country's western coastline.
These renewed conflicts in Yemen present another challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump. Sources have reported that Washington has so far refrained from Saudi requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence support.
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