Saudi Arabia has faced a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement, reopening fears that the fragile calm surrounding the Yemen conflict is collapsing. Saudi authorities said civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran were targeted, leaving at least 73 people injured, including women and children.
Energy facilities in southern Saudi Arabia were also hit, triggering fires and temporarily disrupting some operations. The attacks were more than another border incident: they placed ordinary families, workers and travellers back under the shadow of a conflict many hoped had begun to fade.
The Houthis confirmed launching a large-scale operation involving dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. Their military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said Aramco installations, economic sites and Khamis Mushait Air Base were among the targets. The group described the strikes as retaliation for recent Saudi air raids across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
Riyadh called the assault a dangerous escalation and said it reserved the right to defend its territory, citizens and critical infrastructure. The Arab League, Britain and several governments condemned the attacks, warning that continued escalation could threaten regional security, Red Sea shipping and global energy supplies.
The violence marks a serious setback for the informal truce that had largely reduced cross-border fighting since 2022. Yemen’s war began after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led intervention the following year. Years of warfare have devastated the country and created one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.
The immediate danger now extends beyond Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Renewed fighting near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could disrupt a vital international trade route, push oil prices higher and draw regional powers deeper into confrontation. For civilians on both sides, the greatest hope remains urgent diplomacy before another cycle of retaliation becomes impossible to contain.
