US says Saudi-Houthi conflict could ‘escalate rapidly’

The US has expressed concern that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could "escalate rapidly" following a missile attack on Riyadh. US President Donald Trump cut short his weekend trip to Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House after the incident. The White House did not provide an explanation for his early return.

Loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, where AFP journalists witnessed a fuel tank belonging to oil giant Aramco burning near the airport. The US State Department warned American citizens outside the Middle East to "seriously reconsider travel to and through the region." The Houthi offensive, which has recently taken control of large parts of Yemen, has resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced over 110,000 people, according to the UN.

Saudi Arabia's coalition, backed by Riyadh, intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the capital, stating that the fighters had attempted to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in several cities, including the port of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia has since retaliated with numerous airstrikes on Houthi-held areas, but has been unable to halt the offensive.

The incident is the first time since Yemen's civil war resumed that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital, adding further pressure to a global economy already strained by seven months of war between the US and Iran.