International Desk — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile targeting southern Saudi Arabia on Monday, sharply escalating regional tensions following an earlier airstrike on the Houthi-controlled Sana’a International Airport.
The attack marks a precarious breakdown in diplomatic efforts to sustain a ceasefire in the war-torn nation.
The Saudi-led military coalition active in Yemen confirmed the missile strike. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki announced on social media that the ballistic missile, fired by Houthi militias, was aimed directly at the southern region of Saudi Arabia.
He asserted that the Kingdom’s air defense systems successfully intercepted and destroyed the projectile before it could cause any damage or casualties.
The latest cross-border assault comes amidst conflicting narratives surrounding Sunday’s operations at the Sana’a International Airport.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government stated that the strike on the airport specifically targeted an Iranian aircraft.
Conversely, the Houthi rebels denied any damage to the vessel, claiming the Iranian plane had landed safely.
The missile strike followed a formal declaration by the Houthis on Sunday terminating the ongoing nationwide ceasefire.
Blaming Saudi Arabia for initiating the aggression via the airport strike, the group vowed swift retaliation.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the attack on Sana’a Airport has effectively derailed all current de-escalation efforts between the warring factions.
Saree stated that the strike would not go unanswered and that retaliation against the coalition was inevitable.
The rapid exchange of hostilities signals a volatile return to open conflict, threatening to plunge the region back into a protracted cycle of violence after brief attempts at maintaining a fragile peace.