Yemen Houthis threaten new Saudi strikes after coalition launches capital raids

Yemen's Houthis vowed on Wednesday to continue attacking airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, according to irishtimes.com and ABC News Australia. The group stated that these locations are legitimate targets in response to strikes by a Saudi-led coalition on Yemen's capital, Sanaa. ABC News Australia reported that Houthi-run media said coalition strikes hit the Yemen Petroleum Company's Sabah central station, a fuel depot on the outskirts of Sanaa, on Tuesday evening. [2][3]

The retaliatory threats follow an escalation in attacks over the past week, according to irishtimes.com. Sources said a recent strike caused extensive damage to the headquarters of oil giant Saudi Aramco. Additionally, an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people, irishtimes.com reported. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Houthi forces had previously claimed responsibility for an attack on the main airport in Riyadh. [2][12]

Addressing the motives behind the conflict, Middle East specialist Dr. Elizabeth Kendall told France 24 that the Houthis operate under the experience that threats pay. She noted that the group is driven by growing ambitions to be recognised as the legitimate leaders of Yemen, France 24 reported. Meanwhile, the South China Morning Post reported that the Yemeni government spoke with Beijing on Wednesday regarding the Houthis' alleged attempts to use Chinese-made technology for weapons. [1][4]

The conflict is also drawing international commentary, as Al-Monitor and Turkish Minute reported that Donald Trump floated asking Turkey to join the effort against the Houthis, stating that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would comply with his request. The threatened actions by the Houthis risk further escalating a conflict reignited by wider tensions in the Gulf region, irishtimes.com and ABC News Australia reported. [2][3][5][6]