SANA’A (Dispatches) -- Saudi 
Arabia is preparing for the possibility of a renewed full-scale war on Yemen as weeks of missile and drone attacks by Yemeni forces have pushed Riyadh toward desperation and informal channels between Saudi Arabia and Sana’a have effectively broken down, The New York Times reported.
The escalation comes as Yemeni Armed Forces launched a fresh wave of ballistic missile strikes on the positions of Saudi-backed forces at the strategic Port of Mokha in Ta’izz Province and shot down a Saudi surveillance drone over Ibb Province.
Local media reported that Yemeni forces struck the port with a barrage of ballistic missiles. Separately, Yemeni air defense units intercepted and shot down a Saudi unmanned aerial vehicle while it was conducting a reconnaissance mission over desert areas of Ibb early Thursday.
The latest developments follow a series of Yemeni operations targeting Saudi-linked vessels, military positions and infrastructure after Sana’a announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20 in response to an “unjust and oppressive siege” imposed on Yemen for almost 12 years.
The New York Times, citing people familiar with the situation, reported that Saudi Arabia is preparing for the possibility of resuming a full-scale military campaign against Sana’a. A Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity under government protocol, said Riyadh was prepared for war.
Muhammad al-Basha, a Washington-based Yemen analyst, told the newspaper that informal communication channels maintained between Riyadh and Sana’a for years appeared to have collapsed.
“I am not seeing a political offramp at this point,” al-Basha said. “War is coming.”
The escalation began after Saudi Arabia bombed Sana’a International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.  
Muhammad al-Bukhaiti, a political official with Ansarullah, told The New York Times that Yemen is effectively in a state of war with Saudi Arabia and warned that, in the event of a full-scale conflict, Yemeni forces will target Saudi oil and vital infrastructure.
The newspaper also reported that Saudi Arabia has increased military coordination among its mercenary groups and, for the first time, provided them with advanced weapons, according to Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group.
Saudi Arabia nevertheless faces significant costs from a renewed conflict. The New York Times said a new war could drain the kingdom’s financial resources and military stocks and threaten Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman’s plans to transform Saudi Arabia into a major trade and tourism hub.
The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned at a Security Council meeting on August 13 that Yemen faced its most serious risk of a return to widespread conflict since the UN-brokered 2022 truce, saying no side could control the consequences of further escalation.