Saudi-led coalition intercepts missiles as Houthi attacks draw international condemnation

A Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted six ballistic missiles and blamed Yemen’s Houthi movement, as the group claimed attacks on Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.

Saudi King Salman accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca, while Pakistan’s prime minister called threats to Saudi holy sites a “red line.” Saudi Arabia also said military chiefs from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, which signed a joint defense agreement last month, would hold talks on supporting the kingdom.

The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned the escalating Houthi attacks in a joint statement, citing strikes affecting civilian and energy infrastructure and injuries to civilians, including women and children. It demanded an immediate end to the military escalation and called for respect for international law, freedom of navigation and unhindered humanitarian access.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France would send “military resources” to help protect the Yanbu oil site, which is important to Saudi fuel exports.

The conflict has also intensified Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. According to U.N. figures, 138,000 people, including 70,000 children, have been displaced since August, the highest level since a 2022 truce. More than 3,500 people have crossed to Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration said. The U.N. says more than 2.2 million Yemeni children under five are acutely malnourished, including over half a million suffering from severe acute malnutrition.