Saudi Arabia faces a grim choice as Houthis intensify attacks on airports and oil sites

Key Points:

• A Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and wounded over 300, marking the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in years and exposing vulnerabilities in the kingdom’s air defenses despite massive military spending.
• The Houthis have demonstrated increased military sophistication, striking targets up to 500 miles away and continuing attacks on airports, oil refineries, and gas facilities, forcing closures and disrupting major events like the World Petroleum Congress.
• Saudi Arabia responded with over 120 airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas but faces significant challenges defending its vast territory with limited remaining missile interceptors and reliance on allied forces from Greece, Pakistan, and Turkey.
• The conflict, ongoing since 2014, has evolved into a stalemate with the Houthis gaining strength through Iranian and Hezbollah support; recent escalations threaten Saudi economic interests, especially the Red Sea energy export corridor.
• Analysts suggest Saudi Arabia’s best option may be negotiating a political settlement with the Houthis, though the group’s demands are difficult for Riyadh to accept, and delaying talks may worsen the kingdom’s position.