Saudi Arabia has suffered three deadly attacks by the Yemeni rebel group “Houthis” in a single week, highlighting the dire straits of the decade-long war led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud against the group. The New York Times notes that the capabilities of the Iran-backed Houthis have grown significantly since the conflict began; the Crown Prince now faces a dilemma with no easy way out, and the path ahead promises to be increasingly difficult.
Analysts point out that as the kingdom’s de facto ruler, the Crown Prince may have no avenue for retreat in this asymmetric military conflict. His adversaries—the very targets of the offensive launched ten years ago—are no longer the force they once were; instead of weakening, their strength has surged.
Over the past week, the Houthis launched three deadly attacks targeting the international airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh—including a strike on the passenger terminal that left at least 12 people dead and over 300 injured. These actions brought the war—previously waged in neighboring Yemen—onto Saudi soil, shattering the sense of security long enjoyed by Saudi civilians. While the kingdom has conducted airstrikes in Yemen for years, its domestic population had largely remained insulated from the direct impact of the fighting.
The Houthis have claimed these attacks as acts of retaliation. The strikes deal a blow to the Crown Prince’s ambitions of transforming Saudi Arabia from a closed, oil-dependent nation into a global hub for commerce and tourism.
The road ahead for Mohammed bin Salman is far from smooth. Analysts believe that as the Houthis’ demands escalate, reaching a political settlement becomes increasingly difficult, while the likelihood of decisively defeating them through military means remains slim. This Iran-backed armed group has little to lose, and its combat capabilities have only grown stronger through its confrontation with a powerful adversary. F. Gregory Gause, an expert on Saudi Arabia at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, stated, “For Saudi Arabia, the only realistic solution lies in ending the conflict between Iran and the United States; as part of a broader agreement, the U.S. would need to press Iran to get the Houthis to halt hostilities.” However, Gause also noted, “Unfortunately for Saudi Arabia, President Trump’s stance on this matter remains unclear.”
Yasmine Farouk, Director of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Program at the International Crisis Group, pointed out that Saudi Arabia might attempt to weaken the Houthis’ strength before entering into peace talks. She noted that, from the Saudi perspective, it is premature to negotiate as long as the Houthis retain the capability to launch attacks.