Iran-aligned Houthi rebels announced a fresh strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, marking the latest escalation in a series of attacks against Saudi infrastructure that have killed three people and wounded 36 since Tuesday. While the Houthis confirmed the targeting of the capital’s main airport, Saudi authorities have not yet verified the latest incident.
The previous strikes, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulted in one death and eight injuries at the Riyadh facility, as well as two fatalities and 28 injuries at Abha International Airport. According to Saudi civil aviation authorities, the casualties include foreign nationals, with Sudanese, Moroccan, Algerian, Egyptian, and Pakistani residents among the injured or killed.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree issued a stern warning to international carriers on Thursday, declaring it was “for the last time” they should continue flights through Saudi airspace, which he characterized as a hub for Houthi military operations. In response, a Saudi-led coalition stated late Wednesday that the assaults would face consequences, revealing that its forces had destroyed 82 Houthi military sites across the Yemeni provinces of Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf, and Marib.
The violence has reinvigorated Yemen’s prolonged civil war, displacing more than 200,000 individuals since renewed fighting began in June, according to the International Organization for Migration. The conflict has also intersected with the broader war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which commenced on February 28. Reports indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed the Houthis to seize the port city of Mokha last month to pressure global shipping routes, particularly as Iran attempts to reassert leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia is bolstering its defensive capabilities through new alliances. It recently signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan in August and moved to implement collective defense commitments earlier this week. Turkey has reportedly provided defensive and technical support, while Syria is considering sending military aid or ground forces, though Damascus declined to confirm specific plans.
Meanwhile, maritime tensions have surged with a spike in attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. Data from September 28 to October 5 recorded at least 12 strikes on oil and gas vessels in the area. In a separate incident, an unknown projectile injured 12 crew members on a Panama-flagged tanker near Oman, and another vessel was hit off the coast of Qatar.
Iranian officials have asserted full control over the Strait, with Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the IRGC commander, claiming that alternative smuggling routes have been sealed. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio disputed this assessment, stating that Iranian control is broken and noting that crude exports have remained near pre-war levels. Despite the ongoing violence, Brent crude prices rose above $100 a barrel on Wednesday, fueling concerns about further disruptions to global energy flows.
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