SANAA/RIYADH — Yemen’s Houthi forces launched one of their largest attacks in months, striking 40 military and infrastructure targets across Saudi Arabia with a combined wave of drones and ballistic missiles on Monday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced. Saudi air defenses intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles, the Saudi-led coalition said, though several targets in the southern Asir and Jizan regions were hit. Casualty figures are still being compiled.
The attack came hours after President Trump’s Truth Social post declaring an Iran nuclear framework deal “done” — a development the Houthis called proof that Washington was “abandoning the Palestinian cause.” Sarea said the strikes were “a clear message to the Saudi-led coalition that any normalization with Israel or cooperation with the American campaign against Yemen will be met with immediate and consequential military response.”
Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, including a major pipeline in the Eastern Province and an air base near Khamis Mushait, were among the confirmed targets struck, according to a Houthi military operations map released by the group’s Al-Masirah television channel. The Saudi Energy Ministry said oil production was unaffected by the strikes and that the kingdom’s energy infrastructure remained fully operational. The Saudi-led coalition’s joint command said its air defense systems had engaged and destroyed “the vast majority” of incoming projectiles before they could reach their intended targets.
The attack marks a significant escalation by the Houthis despite the apparent US-Iran de-escalation underway in Geneva. Saudi Arabia has maintained a ceasefire with the Houthis since the Kingdom’s 2022 trilateral agreement that brought a relative calm to the Saudi-Yemeni border, but Riyadh has also coordinated closely with Washington on Red Sea security and Iranian maritime threats. The Houthis have repeatedly warned that any Saudi cooperation with US military operations against Iran would cross a red line.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns this terrorist attack” and called on the international community to hold the Houthis accountable. The UAE, which participates in the Saudi-led coalition, expressed solidarity with Riyadh. The United States, which has been conducting airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen as part of its maximum-pressure campaign on Iran, said it was “monitoring the situation and coordinating closely with our Saudi partners.”
The Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia since the 2022 ceasefire, according to coalition data, though Monday’s 40-target strike is among the largest in terms of simultaneous impact points. The group has previously targeted Saudi oil facilities, airports, and military bases, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure in the southern kingdom.
Written by Layla Hassan, Middle East Correspondent