The Houthi Missile Threat To Saudi Arabia

In recent weeks, Houthi rebels in Yemen have escalated their missile attacks on Saudi Arabia with Iranian support. This week marks the third anniversary of Saudi intervention in Yemen's civil war and it was marked by a major ballistic missile attack on Saudi cities. Seven missiles were fired from Yemen in total including three that were aimed at the capital of Riyadh. On Sunday night, Saudi Colonel Turki al-Maliki said that all seven ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed.

Analysts have cast doubt on that claim and questioned the effectiveness of the U.S. built Patriot defence system. Videos posted on the internet appear to show a Patriot missile changing course shortly after launch and crashing into a Riyadh neighborhood before exploding. Another appeared to detonate shortly after launch, prompting some analysts to suggest that none of the missiles were successfully intercepted.

Sunday night's salvo saw an Egyptian man killed by a missile fragment while two other people were wounded. They are the first casualties in the Saudi capital since the war began. The Saudi government has said that at least 90 ballistic missiles have been fired at the kingdom over the course of the three-year conflict. Using data from Le Beck International, the following infographic provides an overview of the Houthi missile arsenal as well as the maximum actual and claimed ranges of the different weapons.