Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthis carried out a deadly strike on Thursday against the headquarters of the internationally recognized government in Aden, the first since the resumption of hostilities in July, with Riyadh accusing Tehran of encouraging the intensification of their military operations, which also target the Saudi kingdom. The prime minister was at the presidential palace in Aden during the attack but was not injured, a minister told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The minister clarified that the head of the internationally recognized government, Shaya Mohsen Zindani, had “not been harmed in any way” during the attack, which left at least four dead according to government sources at AFP. The presidential palace where the government supported by Riyadh has been based since 2015 was targeted by five missiles, announced the Minister of Information, specifying that the Prime Minister and members of the government were safe and sound. The attack left at least four dead and more than a dozen injured, government sources told AFP.
“Saudi enemy’s military operations HQ” targeted
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said his forces had "targeted the Saudi enemy's military operations headquarters" within the palace, calling "any Saudi military presence" a "legitimate target." An AFP journalist saw smoke and ambulances heading to the scene, access to which was sealed off. The government, driven out of the capital Sanaa by the Houthis in 2015 a year after the start of the conflict in Yemen, “continues to carry out its functions,” said Prime Minister Shaya Mohsen Zindani on social networks.
According to Yemeni government forces, the Houthis also fired “several ballistic missiles” at the government-held town of Marib, in an oil-rich region of central Yemen. And the coalition led by Riyadh reported the interception of Houthi drones targeting the town of Khamis Mushait, in the south.
“Escalation encouraged by Iran”
Saudi Arabia, also targeted since the beginning of October by almost daily Houthi attacks on an unprecedented scale, has pointed out the responsibility of the Islamic Republic. “The escalation undertaken by the Houthis at this stage (...) is encouraged by Iran,” Saudi Deputy Minister for Diplomacy Rayed Krimly told journalists, accusing Tehran of continuing to “arm, train and support” the movement. In 2023, the two rival regional powers concluded, under the mediation of China, an agreement aimed at thawing their relations.
If the kingdom remains in “direct” contact with Iran, it has not communicated for several weeks with the Houthis, who had refused a proposed meeting in Muscat, with the Omani mediator, said Mr. Krimly. July's resumption of the Yemeni conflict opened a new front in the Middle East war, testing Saudi Arabia. Since the beginning of October, the Houthis have attacked the capital's international airport 20 times, in addition to attacks targeting oil infrastructure, according to the coalition led by Riyadh. Its spokesperson Turki al-Malki called on them to “immediately cease all terrorist operations targeting civilians and civilian installations.” He also mentioned the responsibility of “regional actors” – without naming them – having allowed the Houthis to obtain “ballistic missiles, attack drones and suicide drones, as well as speedboats loaded with explosives”.
Postponement of the EU-Gulf summit
After Saturday's attack which left 13 dead at the airport, the Saudi capital was shaken again on Wednesday by explosions. On Thursday, Riyadh airport remained closed and the coalition claimed to have intercepted a missile in the region of Medina, the holy city of Islam, after reporting overnight the interception of a drone in the east of the kingdom, rich in oil. The Houthis, who have repeated that they would spare the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, denied being behind the shooting targeting his region. In this tense context, EU member states announced the postponement of a summit planned for October 24 in Riyadh with the Gulf countries.
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Other international events have also been postponed, while with the end of the summer heat, the month of October traditionally marks in Arabia the start of the high season for pilgrimage to Mecca and other major meetings. Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, is threatened with a “humanitarian catastrophe” by the intensification of fighting, warned El-Khidir Daloum, director of the World Food Program (WFP) in the country. Throughout Yemen, “hospitals and health structures are overwhelmed,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned this week.
