Blasts in Riyadh after Saudi strike kills 12 - Houthis

The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for deadly strikes on residential areas in western Yemen, which they blamed on their Saudi adversary. Following weeks of intensified violence, explosions also rocked Riyadh, a city that had recently been under a hostile aerial threat. Saudi officials warned of potential danger in Riyadh, Kharj, and Najran, but lifted the warnings shortly thereafter.

The conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government escalated last summer when the truce that had been in place for years came to an end. In Riyadh, at least eight explosions were heard as authorities issued a phone alert about the hostile aerial threat. Civil defense authorities issued warnings for potential danger in Riyadh, Kharj, and the southern city of Najran, all of which were subsequently lifted.

The Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a deadly strike on Riyadh's airport that forced its closure for two weeks, disrupting flagship events and threatening the kingdom's economic diversification plans. According to United Nations figures, over 1,600 people have been killed in Yemen since the resumption of hostilities, with more than 275,000 displaced.

As an initial tally, the Houthi health ministry reported 12 citizens killed and three critically injured in the latest attacks. The group targeted a petrol station and market with Saudi strikes, according to the Houthis, as well as the airport in the Yemeni government stronghold of Aden, which resulted in civilian injuries. The Houthis also imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and struck its ships, territory, and oil facilities, claiming control of the entire Red Sea coast in a swift campaign.

Their actions followed a June incident where they allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen's capital Sanaa, defying Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, which led to a series of attacks.

The fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government came to an end in July, following the Houthis' decision to permit an Iranian plane to land in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which was a direct violation of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace. This move triggered a wave of attacks, and the Houthis subsequently declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, targeting its ships, territory, and oil facilities, before seizing the entire Red Sea coast in a swift military campaign.

Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in war, with the Houthis seizing the capital in that year, and a Saudi-led coalition intervening a year later to back the government.