Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia, breaking years of calm

The Houthi movement in Yemen launched missiles toward Saudi Arabia, shattering a four-year period of calm in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned group. The missile strikes, which occurred Monday, followed accusations by the Houthis that Saudi Arabia had bombed an airport under their control.

A spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen confirmed that Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles "launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the southern region." Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, stated that their targets included the international airport in Abha, a city in Saudi Arabia's southern mountainous region that borders Yemen.

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Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the southern region.

These attacks represent the first claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since an informal truce took effect in March 2022. That truce followed previous Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. Monday's violence raises concerns about a renewed conflict along Saudi Arabia's southern border, particularly after a period of relative quiet following an April truce in the broader Iran conflict.

The kingdom's vast size has historically allowed it to mitigate the impact of the war, continuing oil exports through a pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. However, a wider conflict involving the Houthis, who have previously targeted Red Sea shipping, could jeopardize these operations. The Saudi government had not immediately responded to a request for comment.

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They had targeted the international airport in Saudi Arabia’s Abha.