Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been firing a growing barrage of missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia in recent days, leaving Riyadh scrambling to respond. In the process, the kingdom has run short of the defensive interceptor missiles used to destroy incoming missiles and drones. To manage the situation, the Saudi government has turned to regional and Western allies, requesting urgently needed assistance. Two regional officials familiar with the matter said this on Wednesday.
The officials said Saudi Arabia has discussed assistance with France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt. More specifically, Riyadh has requested the supply of air-defence systems to counter missiles and drones fired by the Iran-backed Houthis and other armed groups. The United States is Saudi Arabia’s principal ally and arms supplier, but Washington, itself at war with Iran, is now facing its own shortage of anti-missile weapons. More than six months of sustained conflict have depleted the country’s stockpiles of such weapons. Because of this, Saudi Arabia is seeking help from other countries rather than relying solely on the United States, one official said. Both officials declined to be identified, saying they were not authorised to speak with the media on the matter.
Attempts to reach Saudi officials for comment did not receive an immediate response. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have become newly entangled in conflict in the wake of the ongoing Iran war, in what is now seen as a new front in that war. Saudi Arabia alleged on Wednesday that the Houthis fired a drone toward the holy city of Mecca, a claim that drew condemnation from various countries and organisations, though there has so far been no sign of military assistance being offered to Saudi Arabia. Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and home to the holy Kaaba, recognised by Muslims as their holiest city; millions of pilgrims gather there each year for the hajj. Saudi Arabia says it shot down the Houthi drone aimed at the holy city and has warned that any further such attempt on it will be treated as a “final red line,” against which it will not hesitate to take appropriate action. The Houthis, however, have denied sending any drone toward the holy city, which lies roughly 1,100 kilometres, or 680 miles, from Yemen’s border. The group has separately claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Yemeni airspace, releasing photographs of Houthi fighters standing amid the wreckage.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is desperate to bring allies onside as fighting continues near Yemen’s Marib province. The wealthy kingdom is now the Houthis’ biggest target, with the group backed by Saudi Arabia’s principal regional rival, Iran. In this situation, Saudi Arabia needs not only military assistance but also a safe route to keep exporting oil — and neither problem has an easy solution in sight. A strategically important oil pipeline, the East-West Pipeline, was shut down in Saudi Arabia after a recent attack blamed on Iran-aligned militias in Iraq; officials fear it could remain closed for several weeks. The Houthis have also attacked various Saudi installations and Saudi-flagged ships in the Red Sea, and have seized several islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, threatening to close the waterway entirely. With oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted because of the Iran war, Bab al-Mandeb had been Saudi Arabia’s main alternative route — but Houthi control there has now created a fresh crisis. The resulting squeeze on oil exports through both chokepoints has driven international oil prices sharply higher, already past 100 dollars a barrel, leaving many countries, including the United States, facing an energy crunch.
One regional official said Saudi Arabia is now in a “very difficult position,” because the kingdom must protect not only its military bases and key government installations but also the oil facilities spread across the country. Another official said Saudi Arabia is trying to rally international allies for collective action against the Houthis, adding that Oman and Egypt have taken on leadership roles in trying to normalise the situation in Yemen. Adam Baron, a fellow at the Washington-based think tank New America, said this is not simply a Houthi-versus-Saudi issue — how to keep the wider shipping lanes of international trade safe has also become a central concern. Two officials familiar with the matter said US officials held direct talks with Houthi representatives in Muscat, Oman, last weekend, with one Houthi official also present at the meeting. The two sides discussed strategies for easing regional tensions, though no further details of the meeting are known; the source, not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, also asked not to be identified.
Interest in diplomatic, not military, support
Saudi Arabia is desperately seeking military assistance from regional and Western allies, but it appears those allies are not particularly keen to provide military help, preferring instead to offer diplomatic support. British prime minister’s spokesperson Tom Wells said on Tuesday that Britain and Saudi Arabia have a “very close defence partnership,” but declined to say whether Saudi Arabia had requested military assistance, and also declined to confirm whether British troops are present on Saudi soil. US and NATO officials have separately acknowledged a severe shortage of anti-missile systems in Europe, raising questions over whether Europe even has the capacity to assist Saudi Arabia.
A Turkish government official said, meanwhile, that as part of efforts to ease tensions, Turkey is in talks with Iran and the United Arab Emirates, though he did not offer further details. Turkey is a NATO member and Pakistan a nuclear-armed state; the two countries recently signed a defence pact with Saudi Arabia known as the “Mecca Agreement,” and the Houthi crisis has emerged as its first real test. However, Pakistani and Turkish officials told the Associated Press that Saudi Arabia has not directly asked them for help in countering the Houthis. Condemning the alleged attempted attack on Mecca, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stand together “firmly, shoulder to shoulder.” Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia, told Turkey’s state broadcaster Anadolu that no country can remain “indifferent” to the incident.
The US keeps its distance from the Saudi-Houthi conflict
The United States has sold Saudi Arabia billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and has long promised other forms of support, but comments from senior US officials suggest Washington is currently reluctant to get directly involved in the Saudi-Houthi conflict. US vice-president JD Vance said on Monday that Washington maintains “regular contact” with Saudi Arabia, and that the United States has also held “direct talks” with the Houthis. Asked whether Saudi Arabia had requested military intervention, a US official said US Central Command has formed a task force to expand intelligence-sharing and military-planning support for Saudi forces. The same official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US military convened senior military officials from eight countries in Germany last week to discuss expanding security cooperation in the Middle East, though he did not disclose which countries took part.
Araghchi visits China
China is the largest buyer of oil from Iran, which remains at war with the United States and Israel. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has travelled to China, where his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, urged both the United States and Iran to exercise restraint, while also calling for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as soon as possible. China’s foreign ministry said Wang Yi expressed concern over the spreading conflict in Yemen and the Red Sea. Araghchi, for his part, said Tehran wants to restore peace to the region and seeks friendly, peaceful relations with its neighbours.