Houthi escalation
Arab states in Gulf call off meeting with Iran planned for Monday
Jeddah
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and his accompanying delegation in Jeddah on Monday, the state news agency SPA reported.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the US, as well as the latest regional developments.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi Minister of State, Cabinet member and National Security Adviser Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban.
The statement comes amid escalation between government forces and Houthis in Yemen, and the rebel group’s attacks on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.
Iran says BRICS and SCO members are working to counter US unilateralism
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said members of the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) use every opportunity to demonstrate their opposition to the US unilateral approach and to seek solutions to counter its consequences, according to IRNA.
Addressing his press conference on Monday, Baghaei dismissed the notion that Iran can be isolated, saying that a country which defends itself cannot be sidelined.
He pointed to the US’ declining credibility, citing the US attack on Iran and its partnership with a genocidal regime as a serious strategic error.
The international community, including the region, has recognized that US actions have undermined international norms essential to global peace and security, he added.
Baghaei accused Washington of instrumentalising the UN, politicising the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and violating the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force.
Countries are using multilateral platforms like the SCO and BRICS both to voice opposition and to devise practical responses to the consequences of US behavior, he stated.
He went on to say that even the US’ traditional allies – Canada, Europe, and others — have begun to recognize the need to contain the US’ belligerent and destructive unilateralism. Houthis claim large-scale missile, drone attack on King Khalid Air Base in Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthis on Monday claimed to have carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack on a Saudi air base in the southern city of Khamis Mushait.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that the group targeted King Khalid Air Base with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.
He claimed the attack targeted aircraft hangars, radars, runways, ammunition depots and other military facilities, causing “significant losses” at the base.
The Houthis said the operation came in response to Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, claiming Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets had carried out more than 300 strikes across several Yemeni provinces over the past five days.
There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the Houthi claims regarding damage at the air base.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued an alert in Khamis Mushait governorate but later said “the danger has passed.” It urged residents to continue following Civil Defense instructions and avoid gathering and filming. The Houthis vowed to continue attacks inside Saudi Arabia as long as Saudi military operations in Yemen continue, warning that any new attacks would be met with “broader and more severe” operations.
