U.S. State Department Condemns Houthi Missile Attack on Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department has strongly condemned the "Houthi missile attack on Riyadh" in a statement. Saudi state media reported on Wednesday that "ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis were detected and destroyed in Saudi Arabian airspace." In its statement, the U.S. State Department said, "We support our ally, Saudi Arabia's right to defend its borders against these threats. The Iranian government exacerbates these threats by dangerously expanding weapons and destabilizing activities in the region." Heather Nauert, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, added that the continued missile attacks by the Houthis on residential areas in Saudi Arabia cast doubt on their commitment to achieving a future of peace, prosperity, and security for Yemen. The U.S. State Department once again called on all parties to return to UN-supported negotiations to end the war in Yemen. The new statement was released shortly after news of the missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. On April 22, Saudi Arabia reported not only the destruction of the launched missiles over Riyadh but also stated that the coalition leading the battles in Yemen had "shot down two Houthi drones heading towards targets in Saudi Arabia." Saudi Arabia and several other countries, including the United States, have repeatedly accused Iran of supplying weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. The Islamic Republic of Iran has denied these accusations. The fighting in Yemen escalated after Houthi rebels forced President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee the presidential palace, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to take military action to restore Hadi's power. Hadi is still considered by the UN to be the president of Yemen. The UN estimates that since the attacks began in 2015, at least ten thousand people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the fighting, and three million people have been displaced or made refugees. The World Health Organization reported two weeks ago that only half of Yemen's health and aid facilities are operational. The organization states that more than 16 million of Yemen's 25 million population need health assistance.