US warns of rapid escalation in Saudi-Houthi conflict after Riyadh missile attack

The United States warned that fighting between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthi rebels could escalate rapidly after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed. President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House. The State Department advised American citizens to seriously reconsider travel to the region and restricted government employee travel to Saudi cities Taif and Yanbu. The Houthis claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on Riyadh and Aramco facilities, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted the projectiles. The conflict has displaced over 110,000 people and disrupted oil exports and maritime traffic. The attack crossed a psychological threshold, pressuring Saudi restraint, and adds strain to a global economy already affected by seven months of Middle East war.