Houthi missile strike on Riyadh raises risk of wider Yemen escalation
France 24 reports the first Houthi missile attack targeting Riyadh since the Yemen conflict resumed, as the United States warns the fighting could rapidly intensify.
A Houthi missile has targeted Riyadh for the first time since the conflict in Yemen resumed, according to France 24, prompting a warning from the United States that fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed group could rapidly escalate.
The reported strike marks a widening of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces, which have been fighting in Yemen. The available report does not provide details on the missile’s impact location, casualties or damage in Riyadh.
France 24 reported that Houthi forces had seized swathes of Yemeni territory in recent weeks. It also said the renewed offensive had left hundreds dead, without providing further details on the reported death toll.
The escalation places pressure on Saudi Arabia as it confronts attacks linked by the source to the Houthis, who are described as backed by Iran. The report examines Riyadh’s options amid what it characterises as a lack of support from its American ally, but does not specify the nature or extent of any alleged Western non-support.
The United States’ warning underscores the risk that the renewed fighting could expand beyond the existing conflict in Yemen. The reported developments leave the scale of the immediate threat and the consequences of the Riyadh strike unclear.
