Representative Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) condemned the recent attack conducted by the Houthis against Saudi Arabian civilians, with an American among the casualties, in a recent social media post.
The Context
On Saturday, the Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile attack on Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least twelve and wounding over 300. Among the dead were four Saudi civilians, two Bangladeshis, an American, a Sudanese, an Egyptian, a Syrian, a Jordanian, and a Palestinian.
This was the third attack on the airport by the Houthis and the deadliest against Saudi Arabia in over a decade.
The Trump Administration said it was "looking into" retaliating in cooperation with the Saudis and condemned the attacks, although the Houthis warned that any attacks on Yemen's capital of Sanaa would be met with a "harsh and painful" response.
Hamadeh's Statement
"The Houthis' continued attacks on civilians in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, now including the killing of an American, are an outrage that demands a forceful response," Rep. Hamadeh posted on X, adding, "Now, more than ever, our allies in the region must stand united against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies. This aggression must be met with maximum strength and maximum deterrence. The era of radical terrorist proxies must come to an end."
Rep. Hamadeh concluded by encouraging "any Arizonans in the region to take precautions and sign up for US State Department updates."
The Course of the War
In September, the Houthis captured the Yemeni port city of Mocha on the Red Sea, bringing them perilously close to controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which would throw international shipping into further turmoil.
Hamadeh condemned the occupation on social media, saying, "The seizure of the strategic port of Mocha in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from Yemeni control is a direct assault on regional security, freedom of navigation, and the global economy."
