The military confrontation in the Middle East has entered a new, more dangerous phase. Yahya Sarea, a military spokesman for Yemen's Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis), announced a series of strikes on strategic and military targets within Saudi Arabia using ballistic missiles and combat drones. According to him, the operations targeted military sites in border areas and, as movement representatives claim, civil infrastructure in the kingdom's capital. Below are the details of the claimed operations and the context of the escalation building around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Reported Strikes on Riyadh, Jizan, and Najran
According to official Houthi reports, the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was hit by a ballistic missile, with movement representatives citing "significant material damage" to the facility. In the border regions, a drone reportedly attacked a military radar system north of Jizan, while ballistic missiles struck a military camp in Najran and the border guard command building in Jizan. The statement also reported dead and wounded among Saudi military personnel. All these details currently originate exclusively from the Houthi side.
Operations in Al-Jawf and Claimed Drone Interception
A separate block of statements concerns the eastern part of Yemen's Al-Jawf province, where, according to the movement's spokesman, six ballistic missiles were fired at pro-Saudi positions. In addition, the Houthis claimed to have shot down a Saudi reconnaissance and combat drone, which they identified as a "Wing Loong II," in the skies over Taiz province. These claims also lacked independent confirmation at the time of publication.
Escalation: From Naval Blockade to Control of Bab el-Mandeb
The armed conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthis has continued since 2014, but it has escalated noticeably in recent months. In July 2026, the insurgents announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and claimed to have repeatedly attacked oil tankers belonging to the kingdom. In early August, the Houthis launched a major offensive in southwestern Yemen, and in September, according to their reports, they took control of the strategic port of Mocha and key territories around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — one of the world's most critical maritime routes.
Riyadh's Reaction and Regional Risks
At the time of preparing this material, Saudi authorities have not provided comprehensive comments on the Houthi statement, including regarding the consequences of the strike on the capital's airport. Thus, the scale of the claimed damage and the number of potential casualties remain unconfirmed. Expert attention is focused on the fact that the combination of strikes deep within the kingdom's territory and control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait poses a growing threat to international security and global energy supplies.
