As the Houthis gain ground, Riyadh faces the painful reality of a hostile neighbour on its border

• Saudi Arabia faces a growing threat from Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control key parts of Yemen and have attacked Saudi territory, disrupting vital oil exports through the Red Sea.
• Despite heavy military presence and air strikes, Saudi Arabia is reluctant to launch a full ground invasion, instead balancing military action with secret negotiations mediated by Oman and China.
• Saudi Arabia lacks strong US support as Washington avoids deeper involvement, while regional dynamics and security risks force Riyadh to consider living with a hostile neighbour on its southern border.

LONDON – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has accused Yemen’s armed Houthi rebels of being a “terrorist militia” after the Iran-backed group fired a volley of missiles at the Saudi city of Mecca, home to the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.

Ailing and increasingly frail, the 90-year-old King seldom appears in public; the world’s oldest reigning monarch prefers to leave the duties of his kingdom to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his favourite son.