Saudi Arabia issues first air raid alerts for Riyadh since Houthis escalated attacks
Residents later received the all-clear after explosions were reported in the capital.
Saudi Arabia has issued its first air raid alerts for Riyadh since the Houthis stepped up attacks, after residents in the capital were given the all-clear following warnings and reports of explosions.
It was the first time alerts had been issued in Riyadh since the Houthis intensified their attacks and announced a "maritime embargo" on the Saudis in July.
Late on Friday night and into Saturday morning local time, the Saudi Civil Defence sent alerts for the capital and several other regions as the Kingdom’s conflict with the Iran-backed Houthis continued to worsen.
Reuters and AFP journalists reported hearing explosions in the capital, though authorities later said the danger had passed. Residents were told to avoid gathering in crowds.
The Houthis recently took control of the strategic port city of Mokha and Perim Island, which sits at the entrance to a vital shipping route used by the Gulf state to send exports to Asia and Europe.
The Iran-backed group’s military spokesman said the naval blockade was retaliation for a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen.
Saudi vessels have depended on that part of the Red Sea for oil exports since the US and Israel’s war with Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, the Houthis struck several Saudi oil facilities with drones and missiles, sparking fires that forced operations to be temporarily suspended.
The attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure have had a direct effect on global energy markets, and petrol and diesel prices in many countries have risen sharply in recent weeks, adding to already high costs caused by the blockades of the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, has personally asked US President Donald Trump to take military action against the Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.
Trump has so far refused to commit the US military directly, instead offering intelligence and targeting support, the sources said.
A senior Trump administration official told the BBC: "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability."
Earlier this week, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Houthis had launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in response to more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the previous week.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, where both Yemen’s government and Saudi Arabia urged stronger action against the Houthis, accusing them of choking the Bab al-Mandab Strait to apply economic pressure.
Council members agreed that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be preserved to avoid disruption to global supply chains.
Yemen has been ravaged by a civil war that began in 2014, when the Houthis drove the government out of the capital, Sanaa. The conflict escalated in 2015 after the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states intervened in an effort to restore the government’s rule.
The fighting has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 22 million people needing some form of aid, according to the UN.