Saudi Arabia issued emergency alerts across six cities on Tuesday following a new wave of missile and drone attacks launched by Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, as the Yemeni group continues to challenge Saudi military operations.

The Saudi Civil Defence agency issued “potential danger” warnings for Taif, Jeddah, Abha, AlUla, Jazan and Yanbu, urging residents to remain calm, follow official instructions and move to safe locations. The alerts were later lifted after Saudi authorities said the immediate threat had passed.

The warnings followed a series of attacks carried out by Ansar Allah on Monday against targets in southern Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni movement said its operations were directed at Saudi military installations in response to continuing Saudi strikes on Yemen.

Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Malki said the attacks affected areas around Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, with 13 civilians reported injured and seven homes and two vehicles damaged.

Ansar Allah said it had launched dozens of missiles and drones against military facilities in Khamis Mushait, identifying aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots as targets. The group described the operation as a response to Saudi airstrikes against Yemen.

From the Yemeni perspective, the attacks form part of a broader effort to deter Saudi military action and impose a cost on what Ansar Allah portrays as continued foreign interference in Yemen.

The latest escalation comes as Ansar Allah has expanded its military and territorial position along Yemen’s strategically important Red Sea coastline.

The movement recently seized the strategic port of Mocha and advanced toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, including establishing control over Perim (Mayun) Island, a strategically located island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

The developments have significantly strengthened Yemen’s position overlooking one of the world's most important maritime corridors. The Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is vital for international commercial shipping and energy transportation.

Ansar Allah has repeatedly argued that its control of strategic areas along Yemen’s coastline is intended to protect Yemen’s sovereignty and strengthen its ability to respond to external military pressure.

The movement’s growing capabilities have also raised concern in Saudi Arabia and other regional capitals, particularly as Riyadh faces increasing pressure along both its southern border and its Red Sea coastline.

The latest confrontation is unfolding amid broader disruptions affecting Saudi energy infrastructure and regional transport routes.

Saudi Arabia suspended operations on its major East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack last week that damaged infrastructure along the route. The pipeline is strategically important because it allows Saudi Arabia to transport crude to Red Sea ports while reducing its dependence on routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The pipeline attack, however, has not been attributed to Ansar Allah. Saudi and Iraqi authorities have said the drones originated in Iraq, where Iran-aligned armed groups operate.

The distinction is significant as several armed actors have become increasingly active across the region amid the widening conflict.

For Ansar Allah, the confrontation with Saudi Arabia is part of a broader struggle over Yemen’s sovereignty and the regional balance of power. The movement has demonstrated an expanding ability to threaten military and strategic targets well beyond Yemen’s borders.

The latest Saudi alerts therefore underscore not only the vulnerability of Saudi territory but also the growing strategic importance of Yemen’s position along the Red Sea.

With the 2022 UN-brokered truce having substantially reduced direct Saudi-Yemeni fighting for a period, the renewed exchanges represent a significant escalation. The developments could further reshape the security environment around the Bab al-Mandeb and place additional pressure on regional powers seeking to contain Yemen’s growing military influence.

For now, Saudi authorities say the immediate threat to the six cities has passed. But the latest attacks demonstrate that Ansar Allah retains the capability to bring the confrontation directly to Saudi territory and to challenge Riyadh’s military calculations from Yemen’s Red Sea coast. (ILKHA)