We will respond strongly to Houthi attacks: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia warned on Tuesday that it would respond "sternly" to Yemen's Houthis, after ballistic missile and drone strikes by the Iran-backed group wounded 13 civilians in the country's south. The Houthi group has been involved in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed government forces since Yemen's civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a naval blockade of Riyadh and targeted its boats in the Red Sea. The group seized Yemen's Red Sea coast and the narrow strait of Bab al-Mandab last week, which has gained importance as the broader US-Iran conflict has affected the Strait of Hormuz, a significant loss for Yemeni government forces. They have also targeted the oil infrastructure of Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, sending oil prices above $100 a barrel. Eight government forces soldiers were killed in a Houthi attack in western Yemen on Monday, according to two military sources. The Houthis claimed a new "large-scale" attack against King Khalid airbase in southern Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushit, using "tens of ballistic missiles and drones". The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed on Tuesday that missiles and drones had hit Khamis Mushit, Abha and Altaif in the previous day, injuring 13 people. According to the Houthis, Riyadh carried out more than 50 retaliatory strikes this time, like the previous day. The coalition said it would fight these attacks "sternly" to protect the kingdom's sovereignty and take "all necessary operational measures" to stop this "hostile and extremist behavior." Hazem al-Assad, a member of the Houthis' politburo, said that "the Yemeni response will continue as long as they (Saudi Arabia) continue to attack our people." Saudi Civil Defense issued airstrike alerts in six regions early Tuesday morning, which were later lifted. The renewed fighting in Yemen comes at a time when the wider conflict in the region remains inconclusive. However, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was open to talks with Iran. "Iran, a failing nation, is seeking a deal quickly and desperately. I will determine whether the US should be involved or not - we are open to that concept," Trump said on his Truth social network. Iran's top security official, Mohsin Rezai, said on X that "there will be no negotiations until Iran's conditions are met. That's all." A proposed meeting on the future of Hormuz was postponed on Monday, with Tehran accusing Riyadh of using Yemen as an "excuse" to delay the talks. Cairo announced that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday. Yemeni government forces said on Sunday they had retaken positions from the Houthis in the southwestern province of Taizi and carried out airstrikes and told the state-run Saba news agency that they had killed at least 10 fighters. The Saudi crown prince met with Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the US Central Command, in Jeddah on Tuesday to discuss "the latest developments in the region", according to the Saudi news agency SPA. The admiral visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday for emergency coordination meetings, according to news site Axios. The following year, Saudi Arabia led a coalition to intervene in favor of the government, and as the conflict escalated it launched a wave of airstrikes, making the conflict one of the world's worst humanitarian tragedies. The United Nations migration agency said on Monday that 93,864 people had been forced to flee their homes due to renewed fighting in the Arab world's poorest country.
Sunday's attacks targeted Khamis Mushit, Abha and Taif, in which 13 people were slightly to moderately injured while seven houses and two vehicles were damaged. Major General Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman of the coalition established to restore the legal regime in Yemen, reported this in a statement. Saudi Arabia's civil defense issued an alert for several cities and areas, including Abha, Jeddah, Jazan, Taif, Yanbu, Makkah Mukarramah and Al-Ala.