The U.S. government expressed concern about the possibility of a “rapid escalation” of hostilities in the Middle East, following attacks by the Yemeni rebel movement Ansar Allah—also known by the surname of its leaders, the Houthis—which is aligned with Iran—against Saudi Arabia, whose capital came under attack for the first time in months.
Donald Trump, who was expected to spend the weekend at the presidential retreat at Camp David, in the state of Maryland (in the east), returned to Washington on Saturday night. The White House, which has so far remained on the sidelines of the war in Yemen, did not explain why.
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The hasty return, however, was noted, as yet another threshold was crossed in the hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah, which controls a large part of neighboring Yemen and is fighting against the forces of the internationally recognized government, which are backed by a military coalition led by Riyadh.
Yesterday, Donald Trump reiterated that he is in contact with the Houthis, according to Fox News. He stated that the rebel leaders “agreed not to fight against the U.S.,” according to a reporter for the TV network favored by the American right, who spoke with the U.S. President.
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Loud explosions were heard twice in the Saudi capital on Saturday. Agence France-Presse reporters saw a fuel tank bearing the logo of the giant ARAMCO ablaze near the airport.
“This military conflict could escalate rapidly,” the State Department warned via X.
Subsequently, Washington announced that it is restricting the movements of U.S. government officials in two Saudi cities: Taif, where an air base is located, and Yanbu, a port on the Red Sea, which Ansar Allah targeted on Saturday.
After the 2022 ceasefire fell apart in July, a lightning-fast offensive by the movement’s fighters in recent weeks has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and, according to the UN, the forced displacement of more than 110,000 civilians.
Ansar Allah now controls the entire Red Sea coastline, strengthening its control over the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
The fighting and hostilities that followed with the neighboring kingdom have already caused serious problems for shipping and exports from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest supplier of crude oil.
As a result, the price of “black gold” remains above $100 per barrel, driving up prices at the pump for consumers around the world, including in the U.S., where the midterm elections are looming on the horizon in early November.
“My windows were shaking”
Last Saturday night, the military coalition led by Riyadh confirmed via X that a missile had been launched the previous day from Ansar Allah against Riyadh, assuring, however, that “it was intercepted and destroyed.”
According to its statement, the movement also attempted to target “civilians” in various cities across the kingdom, including Yanbu, from where the kingdom exports crude oil. The attacks were “thwarted,” the same source reassured.
Ansarallah, for its part, announced that it had carried out two attacks using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, one of which targeted “key facilities in Riyadh” and the other “ARAMCO facilities in Yanbu.”
The attack on the capital was absent from the front pages of the major Saudi newspapers yesterday.
In any case, it marked “a dangerous escalation, as the Houthis are now carrying out strikes near key political infrastructure in one of the kingdom’s most densely populated areas,” Andreas Krig of King’s College London told AFP. “An important psychological threshold has been crossed.”
Until now, the movement had mainly targeted oil facilities and military bases in the south or along the Red Sea coast. The Saudi capital had not been threatened since hostilities resumed in July.
Riyadh, on the other hand, had suffered repeated attacks at the height of the regional war, which erupted with the U.S.-Israeli bombings against Iran on February 28, as Tehran retaliated by launching attacks against Gulf countries—U.S. allies—that host American bases on their territory.
“I heard the alarm, and then my windows started shaking,” said a 27-year-old resident of the northern part of the Saudi capital, who asked not to be named.
Earlier last week, Ansar Allah was accused by Riyadh of targeting Mecca, a holy site of Islam. The Tehran-aligned movement denied the allegations.
In retaliation, the Saudi Arabian Air Force has been bombing areas controlled by the movement in Yemen on a daily basis, though so far it has not forced its fighters to retreat. It carried out 28 strikes in 24 hours, according to Ansar Allah.
Under pressure, the kingdom—which is trying to curb the threat posed by Yemeni rebels without being drawn into open war—is stepping up its diplomatic efforts.
The Houthis in Yemen reported that new Saudi airstrikes were launched today in various parts of the country, one day after the pro-Iranian movement carried out attacks against the Sunni kingdom, primarily targeting the capital, Riyadh.
“The Saudi Air Force carried out 28 airstrikes targeting the provinces of Taiz, Al-Jawf, and Marib, using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the Hamis Musait and Taif air bases,” said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Shari.
Under pressure, Saudi Arabia has been bombing areas controlled by Shiite militants on a daily basis, without having managed to drive them back so far.
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Source: CNA
