Saudi Arabia prepares for potential military escalation against Yemen

Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for a full-scale war against Yemen following weeks of missile and drone attacks by Yemeni forces targeting Saudi ships, airports, and oil facilities. Analysts suggest that informal communication channels between Riyadh and Sanaa have effectively collapsed, leaving little room for a political solution.

A Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that while the kingdom prefers peace, it is prepared to defend itself by any means, including conducting airstrikes to support the outgoing Yemeni government and the anti-Ansar Allah coalition.

United Nations Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has warned that Yemen faces its most significant risk of returning to widespread conflict since the 2022 ceasefire. He noted that no party currently controls the consequences of escalating tensions, and the Yemeni people will ultimately bear the cost.

Tensions escalated following allegations from Sanaa that Saudi Arabia bombed a Yemeni international airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, a claim Riyadh has denied. Ansar Allah political official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti stated that Yemen is effectively in a state of war with Saudi Arabia and threatened to target all vital Saudi oil and infrastructure if a full-scale conflict erupts.