Saudi Arabia tries diplomacy to stop Houthi attacks from growing

The kingdom has held talks with the Yemen-based Houthis via Omani mediators and is still preparing military options in case diplomacy fails, sources said.

A Saudi-led military coalition had been at war with the Houthis since 2015, after the rebels seized the capital Sanaa and forced out the internationally recognised government.

Saudi Arabia wants to contain a renewed conflict with Houthi militants through behind-the-scenes diplomacy, according to people familiar with the matter, in a bid to prevent clashes with the Iran-backed group hurting its oil industry and economy.

Yemen's Houthis say they hit airport in Saudi Arabia Yemen's Houthis said they hit a Saudi target at Najran airport in southern Saudi Arabia, the group announced on Telegram. Saudi Arabia did not confirm the strike.

The Yemeni militant group, the Houthis, have claimed that they struck the Najran Airport in Saudi Arabia.

The speculation follows the collapse of the relative calm that had prevailed along the Saudi-Yemeni border.

The Kingdom is preparing for a naval and possible ground invasion against the terror group in order to break open its stranglehold on vital shipping routes in the Red Sea.