Saudi Arabia issues first Riyadh air raid alerts since Houthis escalated attacks

Saudi Civil Defence issued air raid alerts for Riyadh and several other regions late on Friday and Saturday, the first such alerts for the capital since the Houthis stepped up attacks and declared a "maritime embargo" on Saudi Arabia in July. Reuters and AFP journalists heard explosions in Riyadh, but residents have since received the all-clear. The Iran-backed group seized the port city of Mokha and Perim Island, saying the blockade is retaliation for Saudi blockades of Yemeni ports, and last week attacked Saudi oil facilities with drones and missiles, halting operations and driving up global fuel prices.