That truce termination was confirmed the same day when Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation closed all four southern civilian airports — Abha, Jizan, Najran, and Sharurah — under a single NOTAM sequence, a four-minute administrative window that revealed both the scale of Houthi ambition and the triage posture Riyadh is now forced to hold.
The same day, separate Reuters sourcing revealed that Iran had transmitted a conditional order through Houthi channels: if US strikes reach Iranian power infrastructure, the Houthi movement should close Bab al-Mandeb — threatening Saudi Arabia’s last functioning oil export corridor at the moment Hormuz is already shut. The Houthi threat to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea export corridor adds a second maritime chokepoint to the kingdom’s exposure.
The Middle East briefing 3,000+ readers start their day with.
One email. Every weekday morning. Free.
