Multinational Air Defense Fails in Riyadh: Reasons Behind the Houthis' Upper Hand
At a Glance: Houthi military advantage: access to long-range missiles such as Palestine-2 and Toufan, a combined drone-and-missile strategy to confuse air defenses, control of the Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandab Strait, and a centralized command with 350,000 troops. Saudi air defense failure: the geographic spread of Riyadh, the high cost of interceptors against cheap projectiles, and ineffective...
The military superiority of the Houthis: access to long-range missiles such as Palestine-2 and Toufan, a combined strategy of drones and missiles to confuse the defense, capture of the coast of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the benefit of a centralized command and 350,000 troops.
Saudi defense failure: Riyadh's geographical spread, the high costs of interceptors against cheap missiles, and the ineffectiveness of the advanced Patriot, THAAD and Chinese HQ-9 systems sent by Pakistan.
Reactions and perspective: Saudi Arabia's air strike with about 100 fighters, Pakistan and Turkey's refusal to participate directly in the war, and Riyadh's eyes on the decision of the United States of America (Donald Trump) to possibly enter the conflict.
While Saudi Arabia's air defense systems are trying to intercept the fired projectiles, Yemen's Houthis have intensified their attacks in recent days. In this regard, on October 10, a Houthi missile hit the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing 12 people and injuring 309 people. It was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
Saudi Arabia has the Patriot and THAAD systems and some of the most advanced jets in the world. Pakistan has also sent troops, JF-17 jets and Chinese HQ-9 air defense system to this country. However, the Houthis continue to attack Saudi cities, airports and oil sites in response to Riyadh's attacks.
How the Houthis got the upper hand
The clashes resumed in July in violation of the 2022 ceasefire. The Houthis announced the naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and began attacking its oil tankers. In September, they seized Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the shores of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key route for Saudi oil despite the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis also claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15SA fighter jet near Marib on September 16, which Riyadh has not confirmed.
According to experts, unity and unity gives this group an advantage. The centralized leadership has a precise command over its forces, and the number of its fighters has reached 350,000. In contrast, the Yemeni government army suffers from low morale, back pay and lack of supplies. The dispute between Saudi Arabia and the UAE also pulled out the UAE forces and helicopters from the coast of the Red Sea, and no force has filled this void.
In response to these attacks, Saudi Arabia bombarded Houthi areas, especially Sana'a, with about 100 fighter jets on October 5, which continues to this day. Nevertheless, the Houthis accelerated their advance and are even on the verge of capturing the strategic city of Taiz.
The Houthis' open hand in attacking Saudi Arabia
The range of the missile no longer limits the Houthis. The Palestine-2 missile can fly about 2,000 km, and the Toufan missile covers between 1,350 and 1,950 km, which makes Riyadh and the coast of the Persian Gulf accessible. Also, short-range Burkan and Badr missiles target Saudi border cities.
Ansarullah combines drones and missiles with different speeds to confuse air defenses. According to some western reports, China and Iran supply key components such as guidance systems. Also, Yemen's vast mountains allow forces to hide and move launchers easily between attacks.
Of course, Yemen's Houthi allies are also expanding the scope of the battle. In September, drones from Iraq attacked the East-West pipeline, which carries Saudi oil to the Red Sea. Since then, the Houthis have attacked Aramco sites in Riyadh and Khurais, and missiles have also hit near Dammam airport on the Persian Gulf coast.
Why was the Saudi air defense not successful?
The United States and its partners quickly deployed Patriot and THAAD interceptors in the early months of the Iran war, and Saudi missile defenses were largely focused on Iran. Meanwhile, geography has complicated the problem, as Riyadh must protect oil fields, refineries, pipelines, airports and ports across an area of more than two million square kilometers. The cost of each interceptor is much higher than a cheap Yemeni drone or missile. The Houthis use these gaps and due to the limitation of their reserves, they shoot missiles at targets with weak defense systems such as airports.
Pakistan's aid did not fill the gaps
Earlier this year, Pakistan deployed the Chinese HQ-9 system along with 8,000 troops and about 16 JF-17 jets. The system has poor operational experience, and during Operation Sindoor in May 2025, the Indian Ministry of Defense announced that it had neutralized an air defense system in Lahore that Indian sources identified as HQ-9. Then Indian missiles hit several Pakistani airbases and satellite images also showed the damage.
In Saudi Arabia, the HQ-9 system also failed to stop the Houthis. Since the arrival of this system, missiles have targeted Riyadh Airport, Dammam and Aramco sites. Of course, Islamabad has kept the details of the deployment of this system secret and refuses any participation in the Saudi military operations against the Houthis. In 2015, the country's parliament voted not to participate in the Saudi war in Yemen. Turkey, the third partner in the Mecca Defense Treaty, has also denied sending troops to the war.
Riyadh is now eyeing Washington. According to the announcement of US President Donald Trump, Washington is considering joining Saudi Arabia, and experts believe that without US participation, the Houthis' cheap missiles will weaken the Saudi defense lines and use the existing gaps.