Since Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen in 2015, Riyadh has relied heavily on air superiority and technological advantages to achieve a decisive victory.

But more than eleven years later, it has failed to eliminate Ansar Allah’s military capabilities and now faces threats reaching deep into its own territory.

This does not mean Saudi defenses are entirely ineffective. They have intercepted numerous attacks. What it demonstrates, however, is that technological superiority has not translated into decisive deterrence.

The political irony is equally striking.

After spending billions of dollars purchasing Western weapons, Saudi Arabia once again finds itself seeking security guarantees and military assistance from its allies.

American and European defense companies secured enormous arms contracts, but those deals did not deliver the absolute protection Riyadh had hoped to obtain.

Meanwhile, Ansar Allah has demonstrated an ability to develop asymmetric warfare capabilities that impose substantial security and economic costs on an adversary possessing vastly superior financial and military resources.

Nevertheless, attacks on civilian airports and the resulting loss of innocent lives cannot be justified, regardless of who carries them out.

The Bottom Line | Yemen Cannot be Subdued through Money and Military Force

The fundamental lesson Saudi Arabia’s leadership must recognize is that security cannot be purchased through arms deals alone, nor can it be guaranteed by bringing in additional foreign armies.

After years of warfare, the need for a comprehensive political settlement has become more urgent than ever.

This war has demonstrated that Saudi Arabia can purchase the most advanced aircraft and missiles, but it cannot buy military victory or guarantee lasting security through force alone.

If Riyadh genuinely wants to protect its territory and economic ambitions, the least costly path begins with ending the war, respecting Yemen’s sovereignty, and negotiating mutual security arrangements that protect civilian lives on both sides of the border.