U.S. State and Defense Departments Respond to Houthi Missile Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Following the missile attack by Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department stated it supports "Saudi Arabia's right to defend its borders against threats." The U.S. Department of Defense also stated that Iran is undermining international efforts to end the conflicts. Saudi Arabia reported on April 6 that its defense system intercepted seven ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to Riyadh, the debris from the missiles fell on a residential area, resulting in the death of an Egyptian citizen. The Houthis confirmed that they targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and several other areas. The missile attacks occurred just before the conflict in Yemen entered its fourth consecutive year. Hours after the announcement of the attacks, a spokesperson for the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of supporting the attacks and threatened, "We reserve the right to respond to Iran at the appropriate time and place." The U.S. State Department reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia's right to defend itself against such threats. The Pentagon also stated that these attacks are "in line with Iran's pattern of sending advanced weapons to the Houthis." Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokesperson, stated, "Iran has turned the conflict in Yemen into a means for the crisis to spill over into neighboring countries, undermined international efforts to end this conflict, and contributed to the continued suffering of the Yemeni people." Alongside the U.S., Britain also reacted to the attacks, with its foreign minister stating that if Iran is truly committed to a political solution for Yemen, it must stop sending weapons to Yemen, as this prolongs the war, escalates regional tensions, and threatens international peace and security. Iran has not yet responded to the statements from the U.S. State and Defense Departments, but it has rejected the comments made by Boris Johnson, the British foreign minister. Bahram Qasemi, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, stated that Britain is "undoubtedly complicit and responsible for war crimes committed in Yemen through arms sales and providing logistical and intelligence support to the aggressor countries and aiding the inhumane blockade of Yemenis." Qasemi added that the Yemen war has "only a political solution," and Tehran has expressed its readiness to "assist in finding a political solution among the conflicting parties." Saudi Arabia and the U.S. claim that Iran provides missile weapons to the Houthis, which Iran denies. United Nations experts responsible for monitoring the implementation of Yemen sanctions visited Saudi Arabia twice, once in May and July 2017, and then in November and December of the same year, to examine the remnants of ground-to-ground missiles fired by the Houthis at Saudi targets. These experts concluded that these weapons have Iranian origins and reached the Houthis after the Security Council sanctions began in March 2015. According to a UN report, referencing Security Council Resolution 2216, which emphasizes the prohibition of direct or indirect arms shipments to the Houthis and their allies, the review committee found that the Islamic Republic of Iran violated this provision and did not exercise the necessary caution in refraining from selling or transferring missiles and drones to the Houthis and supporters of Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tehran has rejected these reports and accused Saudi Arabia of "distorting all facts." Over the past three years, more than 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen conflict. Reports and estimates indicate that 22 million people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance, and the war has exacerbated the worst cholera outbreak in contemporary history.