RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is closely monitoring with significant concern the military operations occurring in the Red Sea region and the air strikes targeting numerous locations in the Yemeni Republic, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported early Friday following US and UK launched massive strike against Houthis in Yemen. "The Kingdom underscores the critical importance of maintaining security and stability in the Red Sea area, which is internationally recognized for its strategic significance in global navigation, directly impacting the interests of the entire world." In light of the ongoing regional events, Saudi Arabia called for restraint and urged all parties involved to avoid any escalation, emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution to maintain the area's stability and security. The U.S. and British militaries bombed more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday, in a massive retaliatory strike using warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets, U.S. officials said. The military targets included air defense and coastal radar sites, drone and missile storage and launching locations, they said. President Joe Biden stated that the strikes were a demonstration that the U.S. and its allies "will not tolerate" the militant group's continuous attacks on the Red Sea. He clarified that the decision was made after diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation. "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," Biden said. He highlighted that these attacks endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and jeopardized trade, adding, "I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary." U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak noted that the Royal Air Force conducted targeted strikes against military facilities used by the Houthis. The Defense Ministry revealed that four fighter jets based in Cyprus participated in the strikes. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry has refuted rumors regarding the presence of foreign forces at King Fahd Air Base in Taif. Al Arabiya reported early on Friday, citing Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, the ministry's spokesperson, that these rumors were false. Ali al-Qahoum, a high-ranking Houthi official, vowed retaliation, stating, "The battle will be bigger... and beyond the imagination and expectation of the Americans and the British." Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run satellite news channel, reported strikes hitting various strategic locations, including the Al-Dailami Air Base north of Sanaa, the airport in the port city of Hodeida, a camp east of Saada, the airport in the city of Taiz, and an airport near Hajjah.
