Missile launch ‘an act of war’
CAIRO — Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince said Tuesday that a ballistic missile launched at the kingdom by Shiite rebels in Yemen last weekend was a “direct military aggression by the Iranian regime and may be considered an act of war.”
The Saudi-led military coalition, which has been at war with Yemen’s Houthi rebels for more than two years, tightened an air, land and sea blockade in response to the missile, which was intercepted near Riyadh but marked the deepest strike yet into Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supplying the ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday night. Iran, which supports the Houthis but denies arming them, says it had nothing to do with the attack.
Humanitarian flights to Yemen were grounded and ships ordered to leave, resulting in immediate price hikes on the streets of the rebel-held capital, Sanaa. The move threatens to worsen an already devastating humanitarian crisis in the country, where fighting has killed more than 10,000 civilians and displaced 3 million.
A UN official said its flights were cancelled, and that it was seeking “to resolve the issue as soon as possible.” The official was not authorized to speak to the media so spoke on condition of anonymity.
In announcing the closures earlier this week, Saudi Arabia had said it would take into consideration continuing aid efforts.
The war dates back to 2014, when the Shiite Houthi rebels and allied forces swept down from their northern heartland and seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate to Saudi Arabia.
In New York on Monday night, the head of the World Food Program David Beasley said his agency not only has trucks and planes grounded but also ships in the port of Hodeida. “The Saudi-led coalition is saying, ‘get them out,’ ” he said.
Of Yemen’s 17 million people who are food insecure, the WFP is only reaching 7 million due to lack of funds and access by the Houthis and coalition alike, he said.
“They hardly have food now. And if we are denied this access, even for two weeks, I can’t imagine hundreds of thousands of children’s lives are not going to be on the brink of starvation,” Beasley said.