US warns of rapid escalation after Houthi attack on Riyadh

The United States expressed fear of a "rapid escalation" of Middle East hostilities after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked Saudi Arabia, targeting its capital Riyadh for the first time in months. Washington's warning came as President Donald Trump cut his weekend short to return to the White House. The State Department said the military conflict has the potential for rapid escalation, and Washington restricted official travel to two Saudi cities. The Houthis claimed missile and drone attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu, while Saudi coalition forces said they intercepted a missile. The attack marks a new threshold in the conflict, with the Houthis striking near major civilian infrastructure in a densely populated area. Oil prices have risen above $100 per barrel, and the rebels now control the entire Red Sea coastline, threatening the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait.