Two regional officials told Associated Press on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia’s stockpile of interceptor missiles is running low, prompting Riyadh to request assistance from its regional and Western allies amid an ongoing confrontation with Sana'a.
The officials stated that Saudi Arabia has asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to deploy air defense reinforcements to the region to help counter missiles and drones launched by Yemeni armed forces.
One official explained that the Saudi request came after the United States—the kingdom’s primary ally and key arms supplier—experienced a decline in its own interceptor missile stockpiles as a result of the war on Iran.
A regional official noted that Saudi Arabia is in an "extremely difficult position," given its need to protect its military bases and vital government infrastructure, alongside oil facilities spread across the country.
The second official added that Riyadh is also seeking to mobilize its international allies to forge a collective response to the attacks from Sana'a. However, he indicated that the current decision is to "give diplomacy a chance," noting that Oman and Egypt are leading de-escalation efforts in Yemen.
This comes at a time when U.S. and NATO officials have previously acknowledged a acute shortage of interceptor missiles in Europe, raising questions regarding the ability of European nations to provide additional support to Saudi Arabia.
