ERBIL () — Saudi Arabia warned Tuesday that it would respond “firmly” to Yemen’s Houthis after a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks on the Kingdom wounded 13 civilians and marked a new escalation in the renewed conflict between Riyadh and the Iran-backed group.
The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed that Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif had come under missile and drone attacks on Monday, reporting 13 civilians wounded.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for what they described as a new “large-scale” operation involving “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones” targeting King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, in southern Saudi Arabia.
A resident of Khamis Mushait told AFP that he heard “intense blasts” during the attack, with fires continuing to burn for a “long time.”
“Honestly, we couldn't sleep at all,” the resident said.
Saudi Arabia responded with more than 50 strikes, according to the Houthis, following a similar wave of Saudi attacks the previous day.
The Riyadh-led coalition said it would deal with the attacks “firmly to protect the sovereignty of the Kingdom” and would take “all necessary operational measures” to deter what it described as a hostile and extremist approach.
Hazem al-Assad, a member of the Houthis’ politburo, said the group would continue and intensify its operations as long as Saudi Arabia continued its military campaign.
“The Yemeni response will continue and escalate as long as they persist in their aggression against our people,” he said.
Saudi civil defense authorities issued air-raid alerts in six regions early Tuesday before later lifting them.
Fighting Intensifies in Yemen
The latest attacks come as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has intensified since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July.
The Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Last week, the group seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and strengthened its hold over the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, dealing a significant blow to government forces.
Bab al-Mandab has become increasingly important for Saudi oil exports as the wider US-Iran war continues to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis have also targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, adding pressure on the world’s leading crude exporter and helping push oil prices above $100 per barrel.
In western Yemen, a Houthi strike on Monday killed eight soldiers from government forces, according to two military sources.
Government forces said Sunday they had recaptured positions in the southwestern province of Taiz from Houthi fighters and carried out airstrikes that killed at least 10 gunmen, according to the official Saba news agency.
Regional Diplomatic Pressure
The renewed conflict in Yemen is unfolding against the backdrop of a wider regional war that remains at a stalemate.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he was open to engaging in talks with Iran.
“The failing Nation of Iran wants to make a deal, quickly and badly. I will determine whether or not the U.S.A. will choose to engage — The concept of which we are open to,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran’s top security official Mohsen Rezaei responded that there would be no negotiations until Tehran’s conditions were met.
Meanwhile, a proposed meeting between Gulf states and Iran over the future of the Strait of Hormuz was postponed Monday, with Tehran accusing Riyadh of using the situation in Yemen as a “pretext” to delay the talks.
Iran has long supported the Houthis with weapons and technology, although Tehran insists that it does not interfere in Yemeni affairs.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that the Houthis were “entirely independent actors” who make decisions based on their own interests.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Tuesday, as Riyadh seeks greater regional coordination amid the escalating threats to Red Sea security.
The Saudi crown prince met US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday to discuss “the latest developments in the region,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The latest escalation comes more than a decade after the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate to Aden.
The renewed fighting is again forcing large numbers of Yemenis from their homes. The UN migration agency said Monday that 93,864 people had been displaced since the latest escalation began.
