The leader of Houthis in Yemen, Abdul-Malek Al Houthi, warned that if the violence does not stop in the strategic port city of Al Hudaydah, the group will target Saudi Arabia and Emirates with missile attacks.

In an interview with the Houthi TV channel, Al Houthi said: “Our missiles are able to target Riyadh and further, even Dubai and Abu Dhabi.” He continued: “If this situation in Hudaydah becomes more severe, we can target strategic, vital, important, and sensitive locations. We can create a strong earthquake in Emirates’ economy.”

Yemen fell into the current civil war four years ago, with the Iran-backed Houthis who overthrew the government on one side and the official government of Yemen under Mansour Hadi backed by the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Houthi forces usually target south of Saudi Arabia. In some cases, they have targeted Riyadh and Aramco Oil Company’s facilities, although most of the missiles have been neutralized before hitting their targets.

So far United Nation’s efforts to push both forces back from Hudaydah has been futile. The port is the main entrance for humanitarian aid into the country.

The civil war started in Yemen after the Houthi forces, backed by Iran, overthrew the government and took over the capital city of Sana’a in 2014. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia got involved in 2015 to bring President Hadi back to power.