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US warns Saudi-Houthi hostilities could escalate rapidly
The Hindu··5d ago
The United States warned on Saturday, September 19, 2026, that Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi hostilities could escalate rapidly after a missile attack on Riyadh. The Riyadh-led coalition said a ballistic missile toward the capital was intercepted. Washington approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
Prism
What It Means For You
- The U.S. State Department told American citizens outside West Asia to seriously reconsider travel to and through the region.
- Saudi oil exports and maritime traffic have already been disrupted by the fighting.
- Riyadh residents received an overnight air raid alert before 3:00 am.
What's Happening
- AFP journalists in Riyadh saw a fuel tank with an Aramco logo on fire near the airport.
- Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said operations targeted sites in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
- The coalition said attacks on several western Saudi cities, including Yanbu, were thwarted.
Why Riyadh Is Newly Exposed
- It is the first time since Yemen's civil war resumed that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital.
- The UN says more than 110,000 people have been displaced in recent Houthi advances.
- A 2022 truce collapsed in July after an Iranian aircraft landed in Yemen.
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