Houthis claim strike on 'sensitive target' at Najran airport
According to the Houthis, the attack at Najran airport was carried out in response to the activity of Saudi UAVs in Yemeni territory, against the backdrop of renewed escalation between the parties in the last month.
Today, Tuesday, Houthi rebels in Yemen declared that they succeeded in hitting a "sensitive target" at the Najran airport in Saudi Arabia using a UAV. They claimed the attack was carried out in response to violations of the airspace in the Saada and Hajjah provinces by Saudi unmanned aerial vehicles. "Any violation of our airspace will not go without a response and punishment," they stated.
The tension between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia intensified last month after the Houthis accused Riyadh of attacking the airport in Sanaa and attempting to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. Following the incident, the Houthis announced that the "de-escalation phase" had ended, threatened to attack targets in Saudi Arabia, and declared that any strike on Yemen would be met with attacks against Saudi targets.
The Houthis have proven that they are capable of turning a local force into a regional lever. They cannot defeat Saudi Arabia in a conventional war, but they can disrupt airports, threaten energy facilities, raise the price of maritime insurance, and harm traffic in the Bab-el-Mandeb and the Red Sea. Their main power is not in the ability to conquer the Arabian Peninsula, but in the ability to cause damage that is disproportionate to their size.
