ALBAWABA- Yemen’s Houthi forces launched a combined missile and drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport on Monday, according to preliminary reports and statements from the Saudi-led coalition, marking a new escalation in tensions between the Iran-aligned group and Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition spokesperson said in a statement on X that Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched by what he described as the “terrorist Houthi militia” toward the southern region of the Kingdom. Explosions were reportedly heard in the area, but Saudi authorities have not yet released details on possible casualties or damage caused by the attack.
The reported strike came hours after Saudi-led coalition aircraft targeted Sana’a International Airport in Yemen in an attempt to prevent an Iranian Mahan Air flight from landing in the Houthi-controlled capital. The flight was reportedly carrying a Houthi delegation traveling to attend events linked to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and was later diverted to Hodeidah port on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Following the airport strikes, the Houthis announced the end of a fragile truce with Saudi Arabia and warned of further retaliation, including possible attacks on Saudi airports and critical infrastructure. The group also renewed demands for the lifting of restrictions on Yemeni ports that have been in place since the Saudi-led military intervention began in 2015.
The escalation comes amid a broader regional crisis driven by rising tensions between the United States and Iran. Washington and Tehran have recently engaged in direct military exchanges, including U.S. strikes on Iranian military facilities and Iranian retaliatory attacks targeting U.S. and allied positions across the Gulf region.
The latest developments have raised fears that Yemen could become another front in the wider U.S.-Iran confrontation. The Houthis, which maintain close ties with Tehran, have previously targeted Saudi territory and international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, particularly during periods of heightened regional tensions.
The renewed Houthi-Saudi confrontation also threatens security around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, at a time when tensions are already mounting around the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption to either chokepoint could affect global energy supplies, increase shipping and insurance costs, and further pressure international markets.
