Saudi Arabia says it has swatted down another round of drones as pressure mounts from repeated Houthi attacks — and as Egypt signals it could step in to help defend the kingdom if asked.
Riyadh leads a military coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Iran-backed Houthis. On the other side, a Houthi military spokesman said yesterday that dozens of Saudi strikes over the past day had killed and wounded “numerous” people.
Since Yemen’s conflict reignited in July after a years-long lull, Saudi Arabia has faced a steady barrage of Houthi missile and drone launches aimed at oil installations, tankers and transit hubs. One attack last week on Riyadh’s airport killed 13 people.
A spokesman for the Saudi coalition said it had “intercepted and destroyed four drones over the past few hours in the regions of Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and the South”.
The latest interceptions coincided with remarks from Egypt’s president — whose country is also part of the coalition — indicating Cairo could take action to bolster Saudi defences if Saudi leaders requested it.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt was not seeking to intervene in regional wars, but argued it was “inconceivable” for Cairo to stand by while the kingdom was “harmed or its security and stability threatened”.
“I’m not talking about fighting anyone or attacking anyone,” he said. “We are speaking only about defence.”
Although Egypt is formally a member of the anti-Houthi coalition, its contribution has largely focused on Red Sea maritime security rather than direct involvement in Yemen’s battlefield fighting.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia have long-standing ties and strategic economic links.
Egypt’s parliament will convene an emergency session today at Mr Sisi’s request.
As the Houthi strikes have continued, foreign embassies have issued advisories urging their citizens to avoid using Saudi airports, or to steer clear of travel to the country altogether.
The Saudi education ministry said it was extending remote learning for students in Riyadh and nearby Diriyah.
In the early hours of this morning, residents in the Saudi capital received a mobile phone alert warning of a “hostile aerial threat” and advising them to stay away from windows and doors. The warning was lifted within minutes.
‘Political process’
Saudi Arabia has blamed Iran for fuelling the Houthis’ latest escalation, an allegation Tehran rejects.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran backed a “comprehensive political process as the only practical and sustainable way to resolve” the conflict on the Arabian Peninsula.
He also reiterated Iran’s offer to mediate between the two sides.
Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has previously said Riyadh has not replied to Iran’s proposal.
Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba dismissed the offer in a statement on X, saying “the Tehran regime is a party to the war against Yemenis, not a mediator”.
The Houthis are aligned with Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and the United States, though both the group and Tehran say the Houthis operate independently.
Saudi Arabia has been conducting daily airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, where government forces are trying to reverse gains the group made during a rapid offensive in September.
Yesterday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Riyadh carried out 53 strikes in the capital Sanaa and six other provinces over the past 24 hours, leaving “numerous dead and wounded”.
Earlier, a Houthi-affiliated news agency accused Saudi warplanes of hitting “civilian residences” in Dhamar and Taiz provinces, killing 12 people and injuring more than 30.
It said the attacks were carried out “using cluster bombs, which are banned internationally”.
