US fears rapid escalation in Middle East after Houthis attack Riyadh

Smoke rising from a fuel storage depot near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sept 19.

Listen Summarise The US warned of rapid escalation after Houthi missile attacks targeted Riyadh, marking a new phase in the Yemen conflict with Saudi Arabia. Houthis launched missile and drone strikes on Riyadh and key Saudi oil sites, while Saudi air defences intercepted attacks and responded with air strikes. The conflict has displaced over 110,000 people, disrupted Saudi oil exports, and prompted the US to sell fighter jets to Riyadh amid ongoing regional tensions. AI generated

RIYADH – The United States warned on Sept 19 that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could “escalate rapidly” after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.