Key Points
- Saudi official says Iran is encouraging the latest Houthi escalation.
- Coalition reports 20 attacks on Riyadh airport this month, with civilian casualties.
- Riyadh says Houthis rejected its proposal for talks in Oman.
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia has condemned Iran for allegedly arming, training and encouraging Yemen’s Houthi group, as intensifying attacks on Saudi airports, ports and oil facilities threaten civilian infrastructure and deepen regional tensions.
Dr Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at the Saudi foreign ministry, said during a virtual briefing with reporters on Thursday that Tehran continued to support the Houthis in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“Iran continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” he said.
“We think that the escalation by the Houthis at this latest stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran,” Krimly added.
Saudi Arabia voiced concerns as the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, supporting the internationally recognised government, reported repeated Houthi attacks on key Saudi facilities, including airports and oil installations.
The renewed fighting has opened another front in the wider regional conflict involving Iran and the United States.
Riyadh reports attacks on civilian infrastructure
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis had attempted to attack dozens of airports, ports and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia.
According to figures presented by the coalition, the Houthis launched 20 attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, killing 17 people and injuring 333.
READ ALSO: Coalition Vows Measures to Counter Houthi Threats to Civilians
Attacks on Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia killed three people and wounded 28, the coalition said.
Al-Maliki said the Houthis had obtained advanced military technology with assistance from regional actors, including ballistic missiles, drones and explosive-laden fast boats.
He also said coalition forces had destroyed 127 weapons storage facilities and launch platforms in Yemen’s mountainous areas.
The coalition called on the Houthis to immediately stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning of the dangers posed by the continuing escalation.
The reported attacks have raised concerns about air travel safety and the security of strategic infrastructure in the Kingdom, including facilities linked to the energy sector.
Saudi Arabia says Houthis refused talks
Krimly said Saudi Arabia had sought direct engagement with the Houthis in recent weeks to contain the escalation but that the group had refused an invitation to meet in Muscat, Oman.
“At the beginning of this escalation, we asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman, and they refused,” he said, adding that the last communication had taken place a few weeks earlier.
Oman has previously facilitated contacts between the warring sides as part of efforts to reduce hostilities and explore a political settlement.
A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major fighting, and a de facto cessation of large-scale hostilities continued after the truce formally expired six months later.
However, efforts to secure a lasting political settlement have remained stalled as regional tensions have intensified.
Saudi Arabia’s latest accusations also highlight the continuing dispute over Iran’s role in supporting the Houthis.
Tehran has faced repeated allegations of supplying the group with weapons and military expertise, while the Houthis have developed the capacity to strike targets far beyond their strongholds in Yemen.
The latest escalation threatens to destabilise the Arabian Peninsula, placing civilian aviation, oil infrastructure and regional security under growing pressure.
The overall Middle East conflict has intensified since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28, threatening energy supplies, trade routes and regional stability
