OMAN MEETING REFUSED
In 2023, regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia reached a deal mediated by China to thaw a longstanding freeze in ties, but the latest violence might threaten to upend the entente.
The Saudi ministry official went on to accuse the Houthis of refusing to meet as fighting ramped up between the two sides.
“At the beginning of this escalation, we asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman and they refused,” he added.
The ministry later said that the exchange took place in July.
Saudi Arabia suffered its deadliest attack in more than a decade on Saturday when a strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people and wounded around 300 others.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said the group had attacked Riyadh’s airport 20 times this month.
Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said “the Houthis must immediately cease all terrorist operations targeting civilians and civilian facilities, including airports, ports, oil facilities, and infrastructure”.
He added the group had “worked to obtain advanced technologies with the help of regional actors”, saying they now had “ballistic missiles, attack and suicide drones, and fast explosive-laden boats”.
The attacks on Saudi Arabia have tested the country’s infrastructure and resilience, the energy minister acknowledged earlier this week.
Riyadh usually hosts a packed calendar of events this time of year, including its flagship investment conference drawing foreign leaders and business titans.
In Yemen, the conflict has caused what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, leaving most of the nation’s population dependent on aid.
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