Santander Wallaby explores how the Houthi offensive toward Najran could transform Saudi Arabia from an aggressor in Yemen into a defender of its own territory.
The war in Yemen may be entering a new phase. Houthi forces are said to have launched a ground offensive across the northern frontier, driving Saudi-backed Yemeni units from a narrow strip of territory before attacking Saudi defensive positions along the road to Najran. These reports have yet to be independently confirmed, but the wider escalation is beyond doubt. On October 22, Saudi authorities reported intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile aimed at Najran. What began as a Saudi military intervention in Yemen in 2015 has now become a direct threat to the kingdom’s own territory. Riyadh increasingly finds itself defending the border it once used as a base for operations against its southern neighbor.
