'Few cards to play': Saudi Arabia faces limited options against Houthis with allies out

'Few cards to play': Saudi Arabia faces limited options against Houthis with allies out For months, Saudi Arabia appeared fairly insulated from the war on Iran even as it engulfed smaller neighbours.

In fact, Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s oil company, chalked up bumper profits this summer thanks to its East-West Pipeline, allowing crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, the East-West Pipeline is disabled because of a drone attack from Iran-aligned militias in Iraq. Houthi missiles and drones are hitting Saudi Arabian cities.

A Houthi drone was even shot down over Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, whose custodianship is a point of legitimacy for the House of Saud. The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca.

Saudi Arabia now faces a two-front war. Its allies in Yemen are trying to beat back a Houthi offensive while the kingdom fends off missile and drone attacks at home.

The timing of the Houthi blitz is especially bad for Saudi Arabia because the supply of US-made interceptors - which are the backbone of its air defence arsenal - is running low globally.

Read more: 'Few cards to play': Saudi Arabia faces limited options against Houthis with allies out Saudi security forces take part in a military parade in preparation for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 21 May 2026 (Ibrahim Abu Musafa/Reuters)