Houthis and Saudis strike each other in latest escalation

Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Tuesday said that Saudi Arabia had carried out overnight airstrikes targeting border regions in Yemen.

Rebel-run satellite television said two strikes had hit the Red Sea island of Kamaran and a third targeted Qanawis, north of Hodeida port.

Further strikes were reported in Jawf and rebels said their forces had downed a Saudi drone over Saada, a Houthi stronghold.

The strikes came just hours after air-raid sirens blared and loud explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh, which has come under intense fire for the past several days as fighting between the two belligerents intensifies.

The Houthis have clashed with Saudi Arabia since the kingdom stepped into Yemen's civil war to lead a military coalition against the Iran-backed fighters in 2015.

The rebels have pounded Saudi Arabia in recent days, repeatedly attacking the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. On Saturday, one of those attacks killed 13 people in what was the deadliest in the country in over a decade.

On Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for an immediate end to Houthi attacks on the kingdom, telling Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that there is "no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted."

Beyond reigniting fighting tied to Yemen's civil war, increased Houthi activity has come as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, launched on February 28.

A regional proxy, the Houthis have helped Iran further destabilize the region by striking largely at the oil and transport infrastructure that brings oil and gas from US allies in the gulf to market.

Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and Houthi attacks have not only raised security issues, they have greatly hampered the kingdom's ability to get its product to market.

In its latest annual World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates Saudi GDP will contract by 3.3% on the year as a result, with Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz compounded by Houthi maneuvering in the Red Sea and attacks on Saudi oil refineries and tankers.

Saudi Arabia quickly diverted oil exports away from Hormuz as Iran's blockade dragged on, making use instead, of its overland pipelines and Red Sea access. Houthi attacks, however, have also dramatically impacted these.

The devastation of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have prompted the kingdom to seek help from Washington and US President Donald Trump.

Although he previously ignored Saudi requests for assistance, on Saturday Trump mused about joining the fight against the rebels.

News of this consideration drew a quick response from the Houthis, with a representative saying US interests in the region would be targeted should DC enter the fray.

Despite at least 18 people being killed and more than 300 injured in recent days, Saudi Arabia has stopped issuing air raid alerts in the kingdom.

The government has not spoken of the policy change but observers suggest it may be an effort to avoid stirring public panic as the country's security vulnerabilities come into focus.

Still, analysts warn that the change could have the opposite effect by amplifying uncertainty over the current situation.

Last week, prior to a string of airport attacks, government officials said the alerts had been halted due to citizens' complaints about being woken by them.

Further, Saudi government officials on Monday reminded residents of regulations issued in March that forbid sharing any images related to Houthi air attacks, including missile interceptions or impact craters.

Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney told Reuters news agency that Riyadh — which initiated public warnings in May before halting them on September 29 — was trying to balance public messaging with efforts to prevent disruption in the kingdom but that in his opinion leaders had ended up adding to a sense of unease about Houthi airstrikes.