Saudi Cities Face On-Off Danger Alerts Amid Rising Houthi Attacks

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued an all-clear on Tuesday after emergency alerts warning of potential danger in six cities, including Yanbu, the kingdom’s main Red Sea oil port. The alerts came amid an escalation in attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants on Saudi cities and energy infrastructure.

Which Saudi Cities Received Emergency Alerts?

The Saudi Civil Defence said the danger had passed in Jeddah, Abha, Jazan, AlUla, Taif and Yanbu. Authorities had issued emergency alerts in the areas earlier, urging residents to follow official safety instructions.

Yanbu is particularly significant because it is a major Red Sea oil port where millions of barrels of crude are loaded daily. The port has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia as disruptions elsewhere in the region threaten traditional oil-export routes.

Why Are Houthi Attacks Raising Concern?

The alerts came as the Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on cities and energy infrastructure. On Monday, the group said it had launched missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said 13 civilians were wounded in the attacks, according to Reuters.

The escalation comes as Houthi forces have also advanced along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major global shipping chokepoint. Reuters reported that the group had taken Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, increasing concerns over regional oil and shipping routes.

The latest all-clear means the immediate danger in the six Saudi cities has passed, but it comes against a backdrop of continued Houthi attacks and wider disruption to energy and shipping routes in the region. Reuters only says alerts for potential danger were issued and later lifted. It does not establish that all six cities were actually struck.

Yemeni government-aligned forces appear to have halted Houthi advances south along Yemen’s Red Sea coastal plain since September 11. Sustained Houthi control of Dhubab, Mokha, and the Hanish Islands preserves the Houthis’ ability to threaten international shipping in the Red Sea, according to Institute for the Study of War.

Earlier on September 8, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “The Houthis, in many ways, are agents and proxies of the Iranians. Behind some of this is clearly the Iranian hand.”

Houthis launched a new wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia and were digging into positions on the western coast of Yemen along the Red Sea, Yemeni ​officials said, as urgent deliberations took place in Riyadh over how to respond to their lightning advance, according to Reuters.