The Houthi campaign began after a Saudi bombardment of the Sanaa airport in July, which halted a Houthi delegation from landing.
The group’s arsenal, built from seized 2014 stockpiles and smuggled Iranian components, includes medium‑range Kheibar Shekan missiles, short‑range Asef anti‑ship missiles, and 2,000‑km Quds‑4 cruise missiles.
Their drone fleet—local copies of Iran’s Shahed‑131 and Shahed‑136, dubbed Waeid‑1 and Waeid‑2—has been used to strike the Bab al‑Mandab Strait and other Saudi targets.
Iran’s Quds Force has supplied parts and guidance, but analysts say the Houthis act independently; the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a China‑based arms broker in June 2024 for enabling Houthi weapons manufacture.
In the city of Jeddah, a fuel‑trading family reported that their storage tanks were hit twice in the last month, forcing them to relocate.
Saudi Arabia has upgraded its Patriot air‑defense batteries and is coordinating with Washington for additional surveillance drones; a joint military exercise with U.S. forces is slated for December.