US fears rapid escalation in Middle East after Houthis attack Riyadh

The United States warned on Saturday that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could escalate rapidly following a missile attack that targeted Riyadh for the first time since Yemen's civil war resumed. President Trump cut short a trip to Camp David to return to the White House after the attack, which involved loud explosions near the city's airport.

The White House gave no explanation for the early return. The conflict has led to hundreds of deaths and the displacement of over 110,000 people, according to the United Nations. The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis was intercepted and destroyed. The Houthis claimed to have carried out two successful military operations, targeting sensitive sites in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu.

Saudi authorities had issued an overnight air raid alert, and residents reported hearing explosions and feeling their windows shake. This marks the first time since the war began that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital, adding pressure to a global economy already affected by the ongoing conflict.