Image source: Reuters
On Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition announced the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched by the Ansar Allah Houthi group towards the Medina region, coinciding with the Saudi authorities issuing warnings of a potential danger in the Yanbu and Sharurah governorates, amid the continuing military escalation between the Kingdom and the Iranian-backed group.
Coalition spokesman, Turki Al-Maliki, said in a post on the X platform, “The air defense intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards the Medina region.”
The announcement came minutes after the Saudi Civil Defense issued an early warning warning of a potential danger in the Yanbu Governorate overlooking the Red Sea, before announcing that the danger had passed after about ten minutes.
It was not clear whether the warning in Yanbu was related to the missile that the coalition announced its interception. The Civil Defense also issued an emergency warning in the Sharurah region, southeast of the Kingdom, near the Yemeni border.
The Houthi group did not claim responsibility for any attack on Saudi Arabia on Thursday, until the reports were issued.
Yanbu is one of the most prominent Saudi oil export centers, as it is located at the end of the East-West Pipeline, known as “Petroline,” which transports oil from the production areas in the east of the Kingdom to the Red Sea coast, allowing it to be exported away from the Strait of Hormuz, which is witnessing a blockade in light of the regional war.
Yanbu Port and the pipeline have gained increasing importance since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, due to their role in continuing to ship Saudi crude oil and fuel to global markets.
Targeting Riyadh Airport
Thursday's developments come a day after the Houthis announced a ballistic missile attack targeting King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, without confirmation from the Saudi authorities regarding the attack.
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The group's announcement came on Wednesday during Syrian President Ahmed Al-Shara'a's visit to the Kingdom, where he witnessed, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the signing of a defense agreement between the two countries, without revealing its details.
Reuters reported last month that Damascus was cautiously considering the possibility of providing military aid to Riyadh.
This comes in light of the continuing confrontations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, which were renewed last July after years of relative calm, against the backdrop of the regional war linked to the American-Israeli confrontation with Iran.
The fighting escalated in September, when the Houthis made field progress in Yemen and took control of areas on the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the most important sea lanes for global trade.
Since then, Saudi Arabia has intensified its strikes on Houthi sites, while the group has escalated its attacks with missiles and drones on airports, oil facilities, and military sites inside the Kingdom.
The Houthis have repeatedly confirmed that they will not target the cities of Mecca and Medina during their military campaign against Saudi Arabia.
Regional movements to support Saudi Arabia
In light of the escalation of attacks, Saudi Arabia is seeking to strengthen its military cooperation with a number of countries to obtain defensive and offensive support in its confrontation with the Houthis.
Last month, the Egyptian Parliament agreed to provide military support to the Kingdom, while Türkiye is preparing to ratify a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which includes a clause for collective defense.
Britain also announced in October that it would carry out defensive air sorties with military fighters to help protect Saudi cities from Houthi air attacks.
In the context of diplomatic moves, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks on Wednesday with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, which dealt with regional and international developments.
The two sides stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability in the region, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dar also discussed regional developments with the Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, stressing his country’s commitment to strengthening its relations with Tehran and the importance of diplomatic solutions.
Medical aid to Taiz
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On the humanitarian level, the International Committee of the Red Cross announced on Wednesday the delivery of four trucks loaded with basic medical aid to the Yemeni city of Taiz, which has been besieged by the Houthis since the beginning of October.
The shipment included surgical supplies to help hospitals treat those injured as a result of the battles.
The committee's global public relations officer, Hashem Asseiran, told Agence France-Presse that this is the first medical shipment to reach the city's hospitals since September 23, that is, before the fighting escalated in the region.
Asseiran described the arrival of aid as an “important development,” but stressed that it is not sufficient to meet all the needs of the population.
The Houthis impose a siege on Taiz, the third largest city in Yemen, after cutting off the road linking it to the city of Aden, the temporary headquarters of the Yemeni government that is internationally recognized and supported by Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, called on the parties to the conflict to open roads to allow aid in, warning of the deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
Fletcher explained that water production in the city dropped by half, while food prices rose by no less than 50 percent, with hospitals on the verge of running out of fuel and medicine.
He said that the United Nations has food and medicines ready to be sent, calling for allowing their passage and not leaving civilians hostage to the fighting.
On Sunday, the United Nations announced the displacement of more than 300,000 people in Yemen as a result of the escalation of fighting in the west of the country, noting that the vast majority of displacement cases were recorded during the past two months.
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