The deaths of at least 12 people and injuries to more than 300 others in Saturday’s shocking attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport is a reminder of the threat posed by Yemen’s Houthi militia. Among the victims were Saudi and foreign citizens en route to work, travel or worship. An airport that should have been a place of safe passage became a scene of terror and devastation.
The Houthis bear direct responsibility for this outrage. However, Iran – whose support for the rebels has helped turn a local insurgency into a force capable of killing innocent civilians far from Yemeni territory – is also culpable. Tehran cannot claim to be a responsible regional player while distancing itself from the outsourced violence that its influence enables.
For years, Iran’s strategy of forward defence relied on cultivating armed partners who could project power beyond its borders. The numerous setbacks suffered by Tehran and its regional allies in recent years have exposed the limits of that approach. Nevertheless, the Houthis’ ability to launch missiles and drones against civilian infrastructure shows how much damage such networks can still inflict.
Iran’s military support for the Houthis is well known. But it also runs counter to statements from some leading Iranians, such as President Masoud Pezeshkian, who have spoken about the need for regional engagement. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former foreign minister, has challenged Tehran’s hardline approach that treats much of the outside world as a threat. Such arguments should be taken seriously but diplomacy cannot produce results while those in power in Tehran continue to support a militia that not only represses Yemenis at home but attacks soft targets overseas.
Nor is Houthi escalation the source of leverage that Iran might imagine it to be. As well as inviting retaliation, it strengthens the case for regional security co-operation and makes Gulf neighbours less likely to trust Iranian assurances. The result is a more dangerous and unpredictable environment in which miscalculation becomes increasingly likely.
Gulf countries should not have to accept attacks on their cities, airports, energy infrastructure and civilian populations as the price of Iran’s regional ambitions. Saudi Arabia has every right to protect its people and avoid further attacks. The Houthis are themselves endangering Yemenis by their actions
If those in power in Tehran genuinely want to rebuild relations with their neighbours, they must do more than call for dialogue. Facing down their hardliners and rethinking military support for a destructive Houthi campaign would be a good place to start. Iran cannot demand the benefits of regional diplomacy while ignoring the consequences of its own strategy.
