The escalation comes as Saudi Arabia holds urgent discussions on how to respond to the Houthis’ rapid advances, while Gulf Arab states have postponed planned talks with Iran, raising fears that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East.
The Houthis said on Monday that they had launched dozens of missiles and drones towards a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.
They said the attack targeted aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots and was carried out in response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen.
Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in Khamis Mushait and three other southern cities. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said 13 civilians were wounded in the attacks.
The latest Houthi advances, including the reported capture of Perim Island at the entrance to the Red Sea, have added pressure on Saudi Arabia’s oil exports.
Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after an aerial attack on Thursday. Riyadh blamed the attack on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
The pipeline was built in the 1980s to provide Saudi Arabia with an alternative route for exporting oil without relying on the Strait of Hormuz.
Traders said a prolonged shutdown could remove up to 4% of global oil supply from the market while shipping through the strait remains heavily disrupted. Saudi Arabia has not said when the pipeline will resume operations.
Saudi and Yemeni government forces have stepped up airstrikes against Houthi positions, including around the historic Red Sea port of Mocha.
However, Yemeni officials said the Houthis still effectively control most of Yemen’s western coastline along the Red Sea.
“The Houthis are being put under heavy pressure. They in turn are putting more and more pressure on the Saudis, increasing their campaign of missile and drone attacks,” one Yemeni official told Reuters.
Oil prices rose by more than 4% on Monday before settling around 1% higher.
US reluctant to intervene
The renewed fighting in Yemen presents another challenge for US President Donald Trump.
Three sources told Reuters that Washington has so far resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention, offering intelligence support instead.
Mr Trump said over the weekend that he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and that the Houthis had also contacted Washington, urging the US to stay out of the conflict.
