Saudi Arabia warns of imminent Houthi, Iraqi militia attacks
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- Houthi forces struck Saudi Arabia's Najran province, wounding 11 civilians — seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani — including a four-year-old child who suffered second-degree burns.
- Saudi Arabia warned that intelligence shared with regional and Western partners indicates the Houthis and Iran-backed Iraqi militias, allegedly operating under Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are preparing coordinated attacks on energy facilities, airports, ports and other critical infrastructure.
- Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki condemned the strike, accusing the Houthis of indiscriminately targeting civilian areas in violation of international humanitarian law and pledging continued measures to protect civilians.
- A senior Saudi official said any coordinated attacks may be intended to derail ongoing diplomatic mediation efforts with Iran, which he described as moving "in the right direction."
- Saudi Arabia is moving to strengthen regional defence ties, hosting Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, with the three countries set to sign a defence cooperation agreement.
- The warning follows Saudi strikes carried out with US support against Iran-backed groups in Iraq on July 29 after drone attacks targeted Saudi oil facilities; Iraqi militias later vowed retaliation.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia's warning of imminent attacks on energy facilities, ports and airports — paired with a new trilateral defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan — shows the kingdom hedging against a widening regional war by diversifying security partnerships beyond its US alliance. The alleged IRGC role in coordinating Houthis and Iraqi militias directly threatens the Iran diplomatic track Saudi officials say was gaining ground.
