RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is seeking additional air-defense support from regional and Western allies as its stocks of missile interceptors come under pressure amid intensifying attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to two regional officials. The officials told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defense capabilities to the region to help counter missiles and drones launched by the Houthis and other Iran-backed groups. Saudi officials had not immediately confirmed the requests.
The reported requests come as Saudi Arabia faces increasing attacks against its territory, military facilities and energy infrastructure. The kingdom has also been seeking to protect vital oil facilities and shipping routes amid the wider regional conflict. The officials said Saudi Arabia’s need for additional support is partly linked to pressure on U.S. stocks of missile interceptors after more than six months of war with Iran. The United States has been Saudi Arabia’s principal military ally and arms supplier.
The escalation has opened another front in the broader regional conflict. Houthi forces have intensified their attacks while Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes against targets in Yemen. Reuters reported Thursday that fighting between the two sides had intensified, with missiles and drones launched toward Saudi territory.
Saudi Arabia said earlier this week that it intercepted a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the holy city. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca. The Saudi Civil Defense said Thursday that debris from an intercepted Houthi drone killed one person and injured two others in Taif province. The incident was reported amid a wider increase in drone attacks targeting Saudi territory and energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia is also facing pressure on its energy infrastructure. A key East-West oil pipeline has been shut following an attack linked to Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, while attacks and disruptions around the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz have affected regional energy and shipping routes.
Britain has acknowledged its close defense partnership with Saudi Arabia but has not confirmed whether Riyadh formally requested British military assistance. Officials from Turkey and Pakistan have also said they had not received a Saudi request for military support under their recently established defense arrangement.
The United States has maintained contact with Saudi authorities and is providing intelligence-sharing and planning support, but Washington has so far stopped short of directly entering the fighting against the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia’s reported search for additional air-defense assistance comes as the regional conflict places growing demands on missile-defense systems and raises concerns over the security of energy infrastructure and major maritime trade routes.
