US and EU Rally Behind Saudi Arabia to Denounce Houthi Attacks, but Are Nearly Silent on Deaths of 91 Yemeni Civilians

According to Deutsche Welle, Yemen's Houthi forces have launched a series of attacks against targets inside Saudi Arabia over the past 24 hours. Saudi civil aviation authorities confirmed that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck on Saturday by ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, killing at least 12 and injuring more than 300; in a new round of attacks on Sunday, a Pakistani national was killed and 11 others were injured. The Houthis claimed to have simultaneously struck Dammam Airport in the east as well as two Saudi Aramco facilities, and said they had carried out four "precision strikes" over the past 24 hours.

US and European leaders issued strongly worded condemnations almost simultaneously. According to Deutsche Welle, US President Trump said he would "look into" the possibility of joining Saudi Arabia in strikes against the Houthis, and called the attacks "unacceptable". European Commission President von der Leyen declared that the EU stood "in solidarity" with Saudi Arabia, blamed the attacks on "Iranian proxies", and warned that these actions "are pushing the region into a spiral of violence, hitting global transport and energy nodes". German Foreign Minister Wadephul "firmly" condemned this "act of terror against Saudi Arabia and civil aviation"; UK Defence Secretary Streeting called it a "dangerous escalation" that should be "condemned"; the French Foreign Ministry stressed its "complete solidarity" with Saudi Arabia and condemned the "outrageous attacks".

However, the civilian casualties caused by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have not drawn a comparable level of attention. Citing data from a Houthi-run health department, Deutsche Welle reported that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes over the past five weeks have killed 91 Yemenis, 60% of them women and children — a figure released by one party to the conflict and not yet verified by independent sources. The department also said a suspected Saudi airstrike on a residential home in Sanaa early Sunday killed a child and injured six. Al-Masirah TV, run by the Houthis, reported that the Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on Sanaa International Airport on Sunday afternoon; Saudi authorities did not respond.

Behind this disparity in stance lies a clear asymmetry: Saudi Arabia is a key regional ally of the United States and a major buyer of European and American weapons. Deutsche Welle noted that after the Houthis seized territory along the Red Sea coast last month, including around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Saudi Arabia has stepped up military pressure on the Houthis and backed Yemeni government forces in launching a counteroffensive, leading to a significant escalation in attacks. Against this backdrop, Trump has publicly put "joining Saudi strikes" on the table, rather than imposing any constraints on Saudi actions in Yemen. A statement from a foreign ministry run by the Houthis said that unless "the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen", "worse is yet to come", and stressed that operations will be guided by the principle of reciprocity.

Deutsche Welle reported that the Yemeni civil war has dragged on for more than a decade, with heavy casualties from Saudi-led coalition operations further worsening Yemen's already severe humanitarian crisis. The ceasefire reached in 2022 failed to bring lasting peace; amid the war between the US, Israel and Iran, fighting in Yemen has flared again. Citing the Saudi-led coalition, Deutsche Welle reported that the attacks were labelled "full-scale war crimes" and that a tough response was pledged. The Houthis had earlier warned all airlines, passengers and staff via social media "not to use Saudi airports and airspace" because they "have become vulnerable and have become a combat zone for our forces"; the statement also said airports in Mecca and Medina would not be targeted.

Russia condemned the Houthi attacks but called for ending hostilities "through political and diplomatic means". Australia urged its citizens in Riyadh to shelter in place.