Houthis Launch Missile Strikes on Riyadh as Conflict with Saudi Arabia Escalates

Conflict has escalated between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi organization in Yemen. The conflict began when a Saudi Arabian airstrike hit a Yemeni airport on July 13, in an attempt to block a member of the Houthi authority from landing.

The Houthis have since targeted the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, with airstrikes. On September 19, the organization launched missiles and drones at Riyadh and oil facilities in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes.

Tensions have continued to escalate, with battles raging across al-Wazi'iyah, al-Madaribah and al-Arah mountainous territory in the southwest of Yemen as of September 20. The Houthis have also seized control of Perim Island, which is located directly in the Bab el-mandab strait, a narrow waterway that 12% of total world trade passes through.

According to April Alley, a Yemen expert and senior fellow at The Washington Institute, the Houthis are trying to consolidate gains on the West Coast and take additional territory. If they gain control of these areas, it could cut off the city of Taiz from the southern capital of Aden and lay siege to Saudi-backed troops.