Saudi fighter jets assemble for the Anatolian Eagle military exercise in Konya, Turkey, on July 2, 2025. Despite air power advantages, Saudi Arabia remains unable to impose its will on Yemen, writes Mohammed Ayoob. (Shutterstock/Bogac Erkan)

Why Saudi Arabia Has Only Bad Options in Yemen

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For Riyadh, further escalation against a determined foe may create an open-ended conflict; withdrawal may reward Houthi aggression.

The Houthi missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid Airport on October 10 that killed 13 people has brought Saudi Arabia’s Yemen predicament home with devastating force. Tit-for-tat attacks on each other’s airports continued on October 11, causing more casualties. Reported deaths and injuries underline the vulnerability of a kingdom whose military expenditure and sophisticated arsenal vastly exceed that of its adversary. 

Following Saudi support for renewed operations by its Yemeni allies, attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure and military targets have confronted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with three choices: escalate toward full-scale war, exercise restraint, or withdraw from Yemen’s conflict. None of these is without substantial risks.  

The immediate temptation is to retaliate with excessive force to demonstrate national resolve. But the strategic question is whether Saudi military action can produce a political outcome that makes the kingdom safer. Punishing the Houthis, protecting Saudi citizens, and restoring friendly rule in Yemen are very different objectives. Confusing them could turn a deterrence strategy into another open-ended intervention. 

The current escalation follows Saudi-backed efforts to reverse Houthi gains and protect access to the Red Sea. The Houthis have framed their attacks as retaliation for Saudi strikes on Sanaa and other territories under their control. On October 5, they claimed operations against Saudi airports, a refinery, and military sites. The Saudi-led coalition subsequently announced strikes on dozens of Houthi military and civilian targets. These competing accounts require scrutiny, but the pattern is unmistakable: Riyadh’s support for its Yemeni clients now carries direct costs for it inside Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis have demonstrated again and again that the Saudis cannot defeat them by simply buying and deploying more sophisticated weapons. Saudi Arabia must protect airports, refineries, ports, population centers, and military installations. The Houthis need only penetrate those defenses........

© The National Interest