Saudi Arabia and the UAE over their coalition partnership led the UAE to withdraw its forces from Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones at a Saudi airport on Monday, marking the sharpest escalation between the two sides in years and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Saudi Arabia said the Iran backed Houthis targeted a civilian airport in the southwestern city of Abha with ballistic missiles and drones. The attack followed earlier Houthi accusations that Saudi Arabia had bombed Sanaa International Airport to stop a plane from landing.
The Houthis said their strike was retaliation for the Sanaa airstrikes, which they blamed on Saudi Arabia. No casualties were reported from either incident, but the exchange marked the most serious flare up since a Saudi led coalition struck Houthi held areas years ago. Saudi officials had not responded to requests for comment on the Yemen strikes at the time of reporting.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree issued a warning to airlines, telling them to avoid Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa’s airport ends. He said Saudi Arabia actions ended a period of relative calm and vowed the strikes would not go unanswered.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the Sanaa airstrikes were intended to stop an Iranian aircraft from landing there. The UN Security Council held an emergency session Monday afternoon to discuss the escalation.
UN Assistant Secretary General for political affairs Khaled Khiari told council members the region cannot handle another round of conflict and urged all sides to return to UN led negotiations.
The clash comes as regional tensions rise on multiple fronts, including a renewed U.S. blockade on Iran. Analysts worry the flare up could disrupt shipping routes already strained by other conflicts in the region.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis took control of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, pushing the government into exile. A Saudi led coalition, which included the United Arab Emirates, entered the war the following year to help restore the government.
Earlier this year, strain between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over their coalition partnership led the UAE to withdraw its forces from Yemen. The truce between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, in place for several years, now appears at serious risk following this week’s exchange of attacks.
