Saudi coalition, Houthis trade strikes as disruption spreads

The Saudi-led coalition and Iran-backed Houthis engaged in a fierce exchange of missiles on Sunday, as the conflict escalated during the US-Iran war. The disruption from the ongoing violence has spread, affecting life in Riyadh and Yemen. The Kingdom Centre skyscraper, a prominent landmark in Riyadh, ordered all tenants to work remotely indefinitely due to a security alert and multiple drone interceptions. No further explanation was provided for the order.

In a separate incident, a coalition airstrike in northern Yemen's Saada governorate killed at least nine people and wounded 16 others, according to the Houthis' Saba news agency. Simultaneously, the coalition reported that two pilots died when their helicopter crashed in Najran near the Yemen border. The Houthis claimed they had downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi forces in the same area, though the coalition attributed the incident to a technical malfunction.

Fighting has intensified in Yemen, with the Houthis launching attacks on Saudi targets, including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities, and Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The Saudi coalition has retaliated with repeated air raids on Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen. Schools in Riyadh and surrounding areas extended online learning to a second week, and Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remains closed following a major attack last week that killed 13 people.

Egypt's parliament postponed a vote on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's request for military support for Saudi Arabia, extending deliberations to Monday. Meanwhile, Iran's newly appointed defense minister warned of "enormous damage" to the US and its allies if Washington resumes its military campaign. Both the Kingdom Centre and the mall at its base remained open, with mandatory remote working arrangements in place for tenants.

The conflict in Yemen has reignited and intensified since the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. They have targeted Saudi interests, such as tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities, and the King Khalid International Airport. A Houthi projectile injured six people in southern Saudi Arabia, and the coalition intercepted two ballistic missiles in the kingdom's south. Threat alerts for Najran City and the As Sulayyil governorate in Riyadh province were initially issued but later canceled.