Not since the mid-2000s has Saudi Arabia faced such a serious threatpublished at 10:08 BST
10:08 BST
Frank Gardner
Security correspondent
Saudi Arabia wasn’t ready for this.
The Houthis’ attacks over the past few days have hit the country’s critical infrastructure in the form of the capital’s main airport, apparently penetrating Saudi air defences with ease.
The physical damage can be quickly repaired, but the country’s reputation as a safe haven of stability is taking a battering.
Not since the al-Qaeda insurgency of the mid-2000s has the kingdom faced such a serious threat. The Saudi government overcame that challenge through an effective hearts-and-minds campaign.
Then it weathered the Arab Spring uprisings around the region which saw off leaders in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen. It even shrugged off – with some annoyance – an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Riyadh in March.
But this is different. Saudi Arabia may have one of the most powerful air forces in the Middle East – it has been carrying out devastating air strikes on Houthi positions – but the Houthis know exactly where to hit back: at the soft underbelly of the Saudi economy.
From Jizan on the Red Sea to the petrochemical complex at Khurais, the Iran-backed Houthis are delivering explosive drones and missiles with deadly accuracy.
This war now looks like it will intensify before it ends in another shaky truce.