Why Saudi Arabia Helped Create Its Worst Houthi Nightmare

The Middle East Forum says Ayoub's analysis was published originally on October 21, 2026[2]. In it, he writes that "an attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport reportedly killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300."[2]Ayoub writes that "Saudi Arabia did not start the movement, but its policies helped shape the environment in which it grew."[2] He says Saudi-backed Salafi institutions expanded into areas where Zaydism, a distinct branch of Shia Islam, had deep roots.[2]According to Ayoub, the 2015 intervention "treated a complex local insurgency as a conventional military target that airpower could degrade into submission."[2] He also writes that "Iranian support amplified an existing actor rather than creating one."[1]In a separate analysis for The National Interest, Asher Orkaby argues that "by seeking to keep Yemen destabilized and weak, Saudi Arabia inadvertently helped the Houthis form a united threat."[3]NBC News reports that the attacks "have struck Saudi airports, killed at least 14 people."[4] According to NBC, regional officials say that Saudi Arabia is running low on interceptors and has reached out to allies for help.[4]Wikipedia's entry on the conflict says that the UK deployed Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets to help protect Saudi cities and critical infrastructure.[5]Ayoub concludes that "a ceasefire cannot endure if it leaves the country's power struggle unresolved."[1]