Home · World · Oct 16 archive
Saudi Arabia Condemns Houthi Attacks, Seeks Regional Stability
Confirmed
In Short: Saudi Arabia has condemned recent Houthi attacks, including missile strikes on Riyadh, and is seeking regional stability.
Saudi Arabia has condemned a series of Houthi attacks, including missile strikes on Riyadh, which killed 17 and injured 333 others, according to Fox News.
The attacks, which targeted multiple sites in Saudi Arabia, including Makkah, Madinah, and energy facilities, have drawn international condemnation.
Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain have expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, condemning the attacks as violations of international law and threats to regional stability.
The Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, spoke with his counterparts in Egypt and Jordan, reiterating Saudi Arabia's stance that decisions of war and peace belong to legitimate, internationally recognized governments, not armed militias.
The attacks have also disrupted Saudi Arabia's oil supply, with the East-West pipeline shut down after drones damaged the key crude artery.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan condemned the attacks, describing them as 'reckless actions' that threaten regional stability and peace.
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, and the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, also condemned the attacks on civilian sites.
The attacks have caused oil prices to rise, with reports of the Houthis attacking Saudi Arabia causing prices to shoot up.
Former U.S. envoy Tim Lenderking warned that the Houthis, increasingly operating independently of Tehran, pose a 'clear and very present danger' on the international stage.
Saudi Arabia has pursued efforts to support a comprehensive and lasting political solution since the Houthis' 2014 takeover of Yemen, but has accused the Houthis of rejecting peace and continuing military escalation.
The attacks have prompted Saudi Arabia to seek defensive air support from the UK to help counter Houthi fighters and restore stability in the Middle East.
What this adds
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis escalated sharply over the weekend, with the Houits launching missile attacks on Saudi Arabia that killed dozens and disrupted flights.
The offensive marks a significant escalation in the conflict, which has seen the Houthis seize vital parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and make important gains inland, nearly besieging the strategic city of Taiz.
Background
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis escalated sharply over the weekend, with the Houthis launching missile attacks on Saudi Arabia that killed dozens and disrupted flights, according to BBC (United Kingdom) and Dawn (Pakistan).
The offensive marks a significant escalation in the conflict, which has seen the Houthis seize vital parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and make important gains inland, nearly besieging the strategic city of Taiz.
What's confirmed
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026 · 1:10 AM ET In Short: Dawn (Pakistan) reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, condemning the recent Houthi attacks against the Kingdom and describing them as “reckless actions” that threaten regional stability and peace.
What's still developing
- Today, about 2 million Yemenis live in Saudi Arabia.
- The Houthis have demonstrated what happens when an armed movement assumes those powers.
- Abdelatty reiterated Cairo’s condemnation of all attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and affirmed his country’s full support for the security and stability of the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
- The statements of solidarity came during separate telephone conversations between the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts, Badr Abdelatty and Ayman Safadi.
- Saudi authorities on Monday condemned the continuing strikes, including attempts to target Makkah and Madinah, as well as Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushayt, Jazan, Najran, Taif and Yanbu.
- Saudi Arabia has also faced a string of attacks from Iran-allied militant groups in recent days, including a Houthi strike on energy facilities and other civilian sites early last week that injured more than 70 people, according to Saudi state media.
- We gave the heads up to this attack a day or so before major news wires, had our ears to the ground we did: The East-West pipeline has been central to Saudi Arabia's ability to route crude away from Gulf chokepoints during the Iran war, with Aramco's own chief executive describing it as more important to market stability than the coordinated strategic reserve releases led by the United States.
- Meanwhile, the BBC noted that Iran has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis and says it only supports them politically.
- Andy Burnham seeks stability in Middle East to bring down prices at home as first meeting with Trump looms Andy Burnham seeks stability in Middle East to bring down prices at home as first meeting with Trump looms The UK has agreed to provide defensive air support to Saudi Arabia to help counter Houthi fighters and restore stability in the Middle East while driving down the cost of living at home, Andy Burnham has said, ahead of his first meeting with Donald Trump.
- Downing Street said the prime minister wanted to use his UN meetings – which will also include the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen – to “drive opportunity and deliver hope”, making progress on areas with the potential to deliver for people at home.
- Government sources told the Guardian that Burnham would try to pursue a “third way” in his relationship with the US president, neither as adversarial as the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, nor as publicly fawning as Starmer’s early approach, and relying on the strength of his personality.
- Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Fouad Al-Majali said Saturday that Amman had “absolute” solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supported measures taken by Riyadh to protect its sovereignty, security, stability and citizens, Anadolu Agency reported.
Sources
- Arabnewslink
- Arabnewslink
- Investinglivelink
- Warpbeatlink
- The Guardianlink
- Newslink
- Housingwirelink
- Fox Newslink
- Arabnewslink
- Cairoscenelink
- WarpBeat — background on Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia, Escalating Middle East Conflict link
- WarpBeat — background on Yemen's Government and Saudi Coalition Launch Major Offensive Against Houthis link
- NewsX World — video link