Saudi Arabia Threatens Iran, Blaming Them for Yemeni Missiles

Saudi spokesman claims 'right' to respond against Iran

With Saudi airstrikes pounding northern Yemen, killing civilians left and right, their options for “retaliating” against Yemen for firing missiles into Saudi territory are limited. Saudi officials aren’t concerned, however, as they’re threatening to attack Iran over he missiles instead.

Saudi officials reported seven Yemeni missiles intercepted overnight, with debris from one of the missiles hitting a house and killing an Egyptian laborer. Saudi officials claim the missiles came from Iran, and that they have a “right” to respond militarily against Iran in the future.

The Shi’ite Houthis, who control northern Yemen, deny close ties to Iran, and have insisted in the past that missiles fired at Saudi Arabia are part of Yemen’s pre-war stockpile, and retaliation for Saudi airstrikes. Though the Saudis targeted some missile caches early in the invasion of Yemen, some missiles are known to have survived, and have been fired during the fighting.

The Saudis have maintained the narrative that Iran is behind the Yemen War throughout, but  have struggled to prove the weapons smuggling they allege. It doesn’t make much sense that such smuggling could happen in the amounts claimed, in fact, since the Saudis have been blockading the seas around Yemen throughout the war, and even food and medicine struggle to get into northern Yemen.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.