In what has become a weekly occurrence in recent months, the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked Saudi Arabia with kamikaze drones on Monday night. The Houthis told Iranian media about the attack; a form of bragging, designed to showcase their abilities to their Tehran-based IRGC handlers.
According to the Tasnim News Agency, Yahya Sari, the spokesman for the Houthi “Yemeni Armed Forces,” announced the drone operation for military purposes at Abuha Airport and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait.“He announced that the operation was carried out with three Kasef K2 UAVs and the operation was very accurate,” the report notes. "This operation was carried out in order to legitimately defend the crimes of the aggressors and to continue the siege of our country,” the Houthis said.Houthis are trying to take Yemen from the Saudi-backed government. Riyadh intervened there in 2015.
Israel and other countries are concerned about Iran gaining a foothold in Yemen that can threaten the Red Sea and the Bab al-Manbad strait between Yemen and Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.Iran allegedly has drones that it may supply, or has supplied, to Yemen that can fly the 2,000km distance to reach Israel. Iran has been increasing Houthi capabilities with technical know-how for air defense, ballistic missiles and drones.
Saudi Arabia is backing hard-pressed Yemen fighters in Marib. The Houthis could take the city but the US wants a peace deal. The last US administration put the Houthis on a terror list for a week before leaving office while the Biden administration then removed them.These one-time terrorists, now militants, have increased attacks on Saudi Arabia since being removed from the list. The US appears to quietly want an end to the conflict. Iran appears to be trying to use the Houthis as leverage, to test missiles and drones.