Houthi Threatens to Attack Saudi Oil Facilities if Strikes on Yemen Continue

The Houthi resistance group in Yemen has warned it will launch attacks on Saudi oil facilities and vital infrastructure if the kingdom continues its military operations in the country. The threat was delivered by Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi in a televised speech on Thursday (16/7). “All Saudi oil facilities and vital installations will be targeted by our missiles and drones if Riyadh gets involved,” said Abdul Malik Al Houthi. He stressed that the Houthis would implement a proportional response to any military action taken by Saudi Arabia. “The real equation is an airport for an airport, a port for a port, and a blockade for a blockade,” he said. The statement came after Saudi Arabia reportedly launched strikes on Sanaa airport in Yemen. A report by Axios stated that Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) had requested support from US President Donald Trump to conduct military operations against the Houthis in Yemen. According to the report, Trump approved the plan. In retaliation, the Houthis claimed to have attacked Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia using ballistic missiles and drones. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the operation was a response to the initial Saudi assault. “In response to this criminal Saudi aggression, the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting Abha International Airport, using a number of ballistic missiles and drones,” Saree said earlier this week. Saree described the Saudi attack as an act of aggression that effectively ended the informal ceasefire that had been in place since March 2022. The exchange of attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis comes amid rising tensions across the Middle East. The conflict is unfolding against the backdrop of renewed war between the United States and its allies, Israel, and Iran, raising concerns about a wider security escalation in the region.