Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, has warned that the group will target Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities and other critical infrastructure if tensions between the two sides continue to escalate. Speaking in a televised address on Thursday, al-Houthi said: “The real equation is Sanaa Airport for Riyadh Airport, airports for airports, ports for ports, and blockade for blockade,” according to Reuters. His remarks came after the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an air strike on Sanaa International Airport and declared an end to a four-year ceasefire with the kingdom. The group subsequently launched missiles towards Saudi Arabia. However, Yemen’s Ministry of Defence, which serves the internationally recognised government backed by Saudi Arabia, claimed responsibility for the strike. It said the operation was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict for more than a decade. Although a ceasefire reached in 2022 has largely held, regional tensions and Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have undermined the relative calm. Reuters also reported that Iran had asked the Houthis to block Red Sea oil shipping routes if the United States attacks Iran’s electricity infrastructure. Al-Houthi did not refer to that report during his speech.
