Houthis warn of ‘painful response’ if US joins Saudi strikes on Yemen

SANAA, October 13 — A Houthi official has warned the US that it will face a "painful response" if it joins the Saudi-led military coalition's strikes against Yemen, where Washington has reportedly been approached for assistance in dealing with the Iran-backed group. The civil war in Yemen, in which the Saudi-led coalition supports the government against the Houthi rebels, has intensified in recent months, leading to attacks on Saudi oil facilities, tankers, transport hubs, and Riyadh's airport.

On Monday, the coalition announced it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards Khamis Mushait, a city close to a Saudi military base that had previously been targeted. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti told AFP that if the US engages in aggression against Yemen, the Houthis would launch a "swift and painful response" targeting the US and its interests in the region.

He also warned workers and employees at Saudi oil facilities and airports to avoid these sites, as they are now legitimate targets. The violence escalated following an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, making it the deadliest strike on Saudi soil in over a decade. US President Donald Trump has reportedly been considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis, but has not yet made a decision.

The Houthis claim they targeted the Khamis Mushait military base with a drone. US government employees have been urged to obtain authorization before using any airport in Saudi Arabia, and the US embassy advised US citizens to exercise extreme caution. The UAE's national carrier Etihad Airways suspended all flights to and from Riyadh, while Bahrain's Gulf Air also cancelled flights to Riyadh.

The civil war in Yemen has created a severe humanitarian crisis, with the UN rights chief condemning the repeated attacks and urging both sides to cease the fighting to prevent further misery.