Bangladesh, Oct. 20 -- Missiles and drones can damage airports, disrupt oil infrastructure and spread fear among civilians. They can expose weaknesses in military defenses and impose significant economic costs. But inflicting damage is not the same as defeating a nation. The latest Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have renewed questions about the Kingdoms security, yet much of the commentary risks confusing its vulnerability to asymmetric warfare with a fundamental weakness of the Saudi state.

Saudi Arabia faces a serious and evolving security challenge. The Houthi movement has demonstrated its ability to threaten civilian and economic infrastructure with missiles and drones, exploiting the difficulties of defending a vast territory agains...