Houthi militia’s attempts to target Kingdom will be met by unprecedented force: Coalition
A soldier loyal to Saudi-led coalition forces stands guard near ships docked in the southern Yemeni port of Aden. (AFP/File)
ARAB NEWS
July 04, 2026 02:01
- Militia had threatened to target ‘Saudi airports and vital interests on land and sea’
RIYADH: Any attempts by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia to target the Kingdom will be met
by “unprecedented determination and force,” the Saudi-led coalition said early on Saturday in a statement posted to social media and carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
“Houthi statements against the Kingdom yesterday are merely an attempt to divert attention away from their grave violations against the brotherly people of Yemen,” said Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition’s spokesperson.
He categorized the militia’s latest threats as an attempt to undermine regional and international security.
“The coalition will respond with unprecedented determination and force to any and all attempts to target the Kingdom, its citizens and residents and national assets, or any attempt to violate the sovereignty of the brotherly Republic of Yemen,” he said.
The militia on Friday threatened to target “Saudi airports and vital interests on land and sea,” according to the group’s military spokesperson.
Al-Maliki accused the Houthis of causing suffering to Yemenis through its actions.
He said: “They try to export the economic disasters and Yemeni suffering they have caused — in addition to covering the rejections they face from tribal and social components of Yemen — to their regional periphery and neighboring countries.”
Known formally as the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition has been fighting to restore legitimacy to Yemen’s internationally recognized government following the seizure of the capital Sanaa by Houthis in 2014.
The militia, which has received weapons from Tehran, has been in control of the capital since then, as well as many parts of the country.
Al-Maliki said: “The Kingdom, along with the coalition and international partners, have endeavored to undertake initiatives and efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people caused by the coup carried out by the Houthi militia, in addition to resolving the Yemeni crisis through a road map, which the legitimate Yemeni government approved, while the Houthis rejected (it), as they went beyond by rejecting efforts for lasting peace and attacked Sea Lines of Communication and international trade in the Southern Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.”
"Why am I counting down from 88 days? Because in 88 days, the Houthis will mark the 12th anniversary of September 21, 2014, the day they call their “revolution.”
In reality, it was the coup and armed rebellion that allowed them to take Sana’a and most of northern Yemen.
@BashaReport assessment is that the Houthis want some kind of win by that date. That win could be an Iran-U.S.-style memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia or the Internationally Recognized Government of Yemen, built around two key steps.
First, the reopening of Sana’a airport and support for direct flights from Houthi-controlled Sana’a to Amman, Cairo, or possibly even Jeddah. Second, some form of financial commitment or reparations, not just a one-time payment, but something more structured and lasting.
This is why the Houthis are now applying maximum pressure on Saudi Arabia. They appear to believe that escalation threats may push Riyadh toward giving them part of what they want.
But this is not a simple calculation for the Houthis. They know their support base has shrunk. Economic collapse, unpaid salaries, worsening living conditions, and growing public frustration in areas under their control have weakened their position.
They also know that the anti-Houthi coalition has built a large force, often described as around 400,000 men. Whether that force is effective or not is a separate question, but it exists on the ground. So if the Houthis decide to resume strikes against Saudi Arabia, including possible attacks on @Aramco or other strategic targets, to pressure Riyadh over the next three months, the move could backfire.
Many analysts, observers, and Yemen watchers see this as another empty Houthi threat. The Houthis have issued similar warnings several times over the past few years, and some now see them as the boy who cried wolf. In that view, they may eventually settle for much less and avoid a major military escalation. But the timing matters. Yesterday was day 88. Today is day 87. Follow
@BashaReport on
@Substack for updates as this countdown moves forward.
https://bashareport.substack.com"
Saudi-backed Masam project destroys 724 landmines, explosive remnants in Yemen
