Saudi Arabia, seeking to reduce its interceptor missile stockpiles, has requested help from countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, and Egypt. This request has been made due to ongoing conflicts and attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis.
Request for Help to Counter Threats
According to reports, Saudi Arabia is looking to equip and strengthen its air defense to counter the missiles and drones of the Houthis and groups supported by the Islamic Republic. One Saudi official pointed out that the stockpiles of interceptor missiles from the United States, which has always been a major supplier of weapons to Riyadh, are also decreasing.
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Efforts to De-escalate in Yemen
Saudi Arabia is also trying to garner international support for a collective response to the Houthi militants. However, Saudi officials have emphasized that they are still giving diplomatic efforts a chance, with Oman and Egypt leading the efforts to reduce tensions regarding Yemen.
The escalation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure has raised significant concerns about the status of oil and gas transportation. Recently, the Houthis targeted one of Aramco's facilities in the port of Yanbu and claimed that Saudi Arabia has conducted over 450 airstrikes in response to these attacks.
In this context, Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, announced that the group has attacked Aramco facilities with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. There have also been claims of the downing of a Saudi F-15 fighter jet in the skies over Marib province.
Saudi officials announced on Wednesday that the country's air defense intercepted and destroyed a drone belonging to the Houthis in southern Mecca. Meanwhile, Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, described this action as "shameful" and emphasized that the security of the holy mosques and pilgrims is a red line for Saudi Arabia.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also condemned the Houthi attacks on Mecca and the Medina region, calling for serious actions to prevent the recurrence of such attacks.
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