The government of President José Antonio Kast condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia by Houthi militias, Iranian-backed rebels from Yemen, on Saturday night. According to the Foreign Ministry's statement, the attacks have left around 15 dead and dozens injured.
BioBioChile reported the news. The official statement says the attacks targeted holy sites such as Mecca and civilian airports. "Chile conveys its condolences and solidarity to the Saudi government and people," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The statement came on the same day that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, suffered an attack that left 12 dead and more than 300 injured, according to La Tercera. That outlet reports figures that do not fully align with the Foreign Ministry's overall toll of around 15 deaths in total.
It was the third attack on that airport in a week. According to CNN, cited by La Tercera, the two previous attacks killed four people and severely damaged a Saudi Airlines commercial aircraft parked on the runway.
The backdrop is Yemen's civil war. The Houthis are fighting Yemen's internationally recognized government, which Riyadh supports with an air campaign. According to AFP, the conflict flared up again in July and has since spread to the neighboring kingdom.
During these months, the militia seized territory on Yemen's Red Sea coast and used drones and missiles to attack transport hubs, energy facilities and other Saudi civilian targets. CNN observed that the series of attacks exposed vulnerabilities in the kingdom's defenses.
For Chile, the sensitive issue is energy. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest crude oil exporter, and the statement itself expressed concern about the impact of escalation in the Gulf on "the supply of vital resources for the world". Chile imports most of the fuel it consumes, so a disruption to that flow could put pressure on domestic prices.
The Foreign Ministry closed its statement by supporting "all ongoing efforts to promptly restore stability in the region." The statement does not detail any specific diplomatic actions by Chile beyond that expression of support.
