Houthis Launch Drone Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities Amid Wider Escalation
The escalating conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has reached a critical point. On July 28, Saudi air defenses shot down drones launched from Iraqi territory by 'Iran-affiliated terrorist militias,' according to a Saudi ministry of defense statement. The attacks targeted oil facilities in the Eastern Province and at the capital, Riyadh itself.
The Houthis had previously announced a naval blockade of Saudi ports, followed by strikes on several ships and an exchange of missile fire with the kingdom. They claim they will lift the blockade only once Saudi Arabia ends what they call a 'blockade' on Yemen, as well as meeting separate financial demands, including public-sector salaries and a share of the revenue from Yemen's oil industry.
Saudi Arabia is now being squeezed from three directions in the widening U.S.-Iran war, Iraq to its northeast, Yemen to its southwest, and Iran to its east. The Houthis have been integrated into what Tehran calls its 'axis of resistance,' receiving supplies, funding, and technical know-how.