Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia show the Yemeni rebels' growing strength

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have put their growing military capabilities on display in recent weeks, repeatedly striking Saudi Arabia's main international airport hundreds of miles (kilometers) away and seizing territory inside Yemen near a key shipping chokepoint.At various times over the last decade, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Britain and Israel have carried out punishing air raids on the rebels — only to see them grow even stronger. The Saudis have struggled to counter the latest attacks, even with far superior U.S.-supplied arms. A senior Saudi diplomat told reporters this week that Iran was encouraging the escalation and that over the summer the Houthis had spurned an offer to negotiate.The Houthis operate in a large and mountainous territory where they can disperse fighters and military infrastructure while threatening major oil facilities and key trade routes. Iran and its allies in Lebanon and Iraq provide expertise, training and sophisticated weapons, according to U.N. and other experts. A recent report found that the Houthis have tried to source parts from Chinese suppliers that are used to make precision-guided ballistic missiles wit...