Houthi attack wounds 11 civilians as Saudi Arabia warns of wider threat

On Thursday, a Houthi attack on the Najran airport in southern Saudi Arabia left 11 civilians wounded, with a military official confirming injuries to seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians, and one Pakistani. The victims included a four-year-old child who sustained second-degree burns, according to Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemen's recognized government.

The Houthis, Iran-aligned, claimed responsibility for the assault, further escalating strikes on Saudi infrastructure. The Saudi-led coalition warned that coordinated attacks by the Houthis and Iranian-backed Iraqi militias were imminent, with intelligence suggesting Houthi and Iraqi militias, supervised by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, could soon target civilian sites, including energy infrastructure, ports, and airports.

Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen security ties with allies while warning of the expanding regional threat from Iran-backed groups. The kingdom and Turkey, along with Pakistan, are set to sign a defense agreement on Friday, though details have not been disclosed. Saudi Arabia has a defense cooperation agreement with Pakistan, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arriving in the kingdom on Thursday, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan scheduled to visit on Friday.

Saudi Arabia emphasized the threats as alarming, stating that they could be aimed at disrupting diplomacy efforts. Saudi-US cooperation, particularly at operational levels, remains strong, with Saudi Arabia pledging to take necessary measures to protect civilians. The Houthis had previously claimed responsibility for an attack on Najran airport on July 29, part of a broader escalation involving strikes on Saudi military, infrastructure, and shipping targets.