Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles - Semafor

Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, pushing oil prices up on fears the Middle East conflict could expand and intensify. Though Riyadh recently signed a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan and Türkiye, neither has been willing to deploy troops to help the kingdom, forcing Saudi Arabia to turn to European countries for assistance.

The Trump administration has also failed to come to Saudi Arabia’s aid despite their long-term defense relations, a decision that risks further fraying ties between the erstwhile allies. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler “will not forget this,” a former senior US defense official told the Financial Times.