Saudi Arabia Says It Destroyed Four Houthi Drones

Four drones aimed at southern Saudi Arabia were destroyed, the Saudi-led coalition said Tuesday. The same announcement said air defences intercepted three ballistic missiles headed for the kingdom’s Eastern Region. Saudi Civil Defence had issued alerts in the Eastern Region and Kharj governorate, then said the danger had passed. No damage or injuries were reported in the latest accounts. ¹

The interceptions come as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement trade attacks. The coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said the Houthis launched the missiles toward the east and the drones toward the south. Saudi Arabia has stepped up strikes on Houthi positions since the group seized key areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast last month. The group is advancing toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major shipping route. The renewed fighting has ended a United Nations-brokered truce that largely halted attacks in 2022. ¹

The broken truce matters well beyond Yemen. The Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and have repeatedly targeted Saudi facilities and transport links, while Saudi-led forces have struck Houthi sites. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait carries global shipping, including routes important to Gulf oil producers. The clashes are also happening alongside the US-Israeli war on Iran, adding another front to a wider regional conflict.¹ Saudi Arabia and Iran have held talks involving Turkey and Pakistan, but reports of a proposed $1 billion Saudi payment to the Houthis remain unconfirmed by a Saudi official. ²

The latest alerts were lifted, but the coalition’s report points to continued attacks and interceptions, not a return to the truce. Saudi Arabia has said it will keep striking Houthi military sites, while the Houthis still hold large parts of Yemen. The immediate next step is whether the reported regional talks can produce a ceasefire that stops further launches toward Saudi territory. ^1,2