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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/world/middleeast/houthis-saudi-arabia-iran-war.html
The Houthis Are Shooting at Saudi Arabia
(New York Times) Vivian Nereim - Saudi officials have no interest in another clash with the Houthis. Their previous bombing campaign in Yemen had turned into a decade-long quagmire that contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis from violence, hunger and disease. "The Houthis have one solution for every problem in the world, which is go to war," said Farea al-Muslimi, a Yemen-focused fellow at Chatham House in London. "The Saudis solve every problem by trying to shower it with money, and the Houthis by shooting at it." The Houthis are acting in support of their main ally, Iran, but also to force Saudi Arabia and the international community to make political concessions in Yemen. In the past week, the Houthis have fired missiles and drones into Saudi Arabia and at ships in the Red Sea, while a Saudi-led military coalition has carried out airstrikes in Houthi-held territory for the first time in years. The Saudi response so far has been calibrated, said Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst for Yemen at International Crisis Group. But if they hold back entirely, they risk emboldening the Houthis, he added. "The Saudis were cornered, and they feel like there will be a higher cost if they stay silent."