Houthis’ Drone Strikes on Saudi Arabia Unrelenting

The Yemeni Houthis on Wednesday claimed responsibility for yet another drone attack on a Saudi airport, the latest in a series of attempted strikes on Saudi assets, marking a noticeable escalation in the ongoing Yemeni conflict. According to a Houthi spokesperson, four drones were used to target Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, starting a fire on a civilian aircraft that Saudi officials say was quickly extinguished. The Saudi-led coalition of Arab armies said it had intercepted a handful of other hostile drones over the past week alone. The coalition is fighting to reinstate ousted President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Sanaa after the Iran-aligned Houthis overthrew his regime in the 2015 revolution and took control of the capital. The ongoing civil war/Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy war has since devolved into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. US President Joe Biden last week promised to defend Riyadh from Houthi attacks, while at the same time putting an end to US support of the Saudi-led coalition. The new administration has also reversed its predecessor’s last-minute designation of the Shi’ite group as a terrorist organization, citing concern that the move will exacerbate an already dire famine threat in Yemen.