Saudi-led coalition vows unprecedented force against Houthi threats to Saudi Arabia and Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it will respond with “unprecedented determination and force” to any attempt to target Saudi Arabia, its citizens, residents, national assets, or to violate Yemeni sovereignty. The statement was made by coalition spokesperson Major‑General Turki al‑Maliki, who characterized recent Houthi rhetoric as an effort to divert attention from the group’s actions against Yemeni civilians.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree had threatened “comprehensive” retaliation against Saudi airports and vital interests after an Iranian civilian aircraft landed in the Houthi‑controlled capital, Sanaa. The coalition accused the Houthis of attacks on maritime routes in the southern Red Sea and Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, citing damage to the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as Sanaa International Airport, power stations and industrial facilities.

The coalition, which intervened in Yemen in 2015, reiterated its commitment to Saudi security and to supporting a political roadmap endorsed by Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while noting the United Nations’ description of Yemen’s crisis as one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.