Houthi threaten Saudi oil facilities if Riyadh escalates
The threat followed an attack on Sanaa airport and a Houthi missile strike on Abha International Airport.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi threatened that all Saudi oil facilities and vital installations would be targeted by missiles and drones if Riyadh increases its involvement in Yemen. He delivered the threat on Thursday, July 16, after the Houthi accused Saudi of being behind the July 13 attack on Sanaa International Airport. Several days later, the Houthi fired missiles at Saudi territory, including Abha International Airport, which they described as retaliation. Al-Houthi framed the response pattern as “airport for airport, port for port, and blockade for blockade.” The escalation marks a break in the calm that had held for about four years in Yemen’s conflict, which since 2015 has pitted the Houthi against the Saudi-led coalition.