The latest airport attacks followed months of escalating threats to air travel and shipping. 

In July, the Houthis accused the Saudis of bombing Sanaa International Airport. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government claimed responsibility, saying it had sought to prevent an Iranian plane from landing there. 

In response, the Houthis said that they would impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. 

The Houthis last month captured both the port city of Mokha and Perim Island in a bid to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz already disrupted by the U.S. war with Iran, a threat to traffic through Bab el-Mandeb could deepen the global oil crisis.

In the weeks to follow, Saudi-backed forces have since claimed to retake both seized areas, but the claim has not been independently verified and control remains disputed.

In September, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called to urge Trump to act against the Houthis. The request came as the militia group gained ground over vital chokepoints in the Red Sea.