Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport raise pressure on Saudi Arabia and Washington
Riyadh's King Khalid airport stays closed until 17 October after Houthi missile strikes. A preliminary inquiry reportedly found serious gaps in Saudi air defence.
The airport strikes
Houthi missiles hit Terminal 4 of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, 10 October, which ANSA described as the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in ten years. Death tolls differ by source, from 12 to 13 for the Saturday strike to at least 18 for all airport attacks, with more than 300 wounded. A second strike on Sunday, 11 October, killed one Pakistani national and wounded 11 others. Saudi authorities extended the airport closure until 17 October, and airlines cancelled flights. On Monday, 12 October, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh.
- Israel and the United States launch attack on Iran, per Deutsche Welle
- Houthis launch offensive in Taiz and Hodeida provinces and take Mocha
- Yemeni government forces announce a large-scale offensive
- Houthi missile strike hits Terminal 4 at Riyadh's King Khalid airport
- Second attack kills one Pakistani national and wounds 11 people
- Coalition intercepts ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh; public warnings resume
- Scheduled end of the Riyadh airport closure
Gaps in Saudi air defence
Two regional officials told a preliminary inquiry that drones and missiles reached the airport without being detected or stopped in time, according to VRT NWS. Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia's public warning system stayed silent for four attacks in the preceding week, including the deadliest one on the airport. Warnings for Riyadh and southern cities were only sent again on Monday, 12 October, and Saudi authorities have not explained the silence. Deutsche Welle reported that the missiles covered more than 1,000 kilometres to reach Riyadh.
Houthi claims and Saudi operations
The Houthis claimed the attacks, saying they targeted King Khalid airport and a military base. The group calls Saudi airports and airspace legitimate targets, except Mecca and Medina, and says the strikes answer intensified Saudi air operations in Yemen. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari counted 119 attacks by combat aircraft from Saudi bases in the latest reporting, and 2,177 Saudi air and missile attacks since the escalation began. The Houthi-controlled Saba agency reported a minor killed and two people wounded in Baqim district, Saada province. Yemeni government forces announced a large offensive on 4 October to retake territory captured by the Houthis.
Washington, Tehran and the wider war
Deutsche Welle linked the Yemen fighting to the Iran war that Israel and the United States began in late February, and reported that the Houthis have imposed a closure on Bab el-Mandeb, complicating Saudi oil exports. Trump is considering a more direct involvement in support of the Saudi operations and discussed it with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the attacks, adevarul.ro reported. A separate Deutsche Welle analysis describes his refusal to intervene militarily as an effort to avoid a new front weeks before midterm elections. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that the Revolutionary Guards could strike American AI data centres and hubs in the UAE and near the Strait of Hormuz, assets he said are worth more than $2 trillion, according to ANSA.
Reactions and detained Americans
ANSA reported unanimous international condemnation of the Riyadh strike. Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan condemned the attacks as a violation of Saudi sovereignty, and China voiced concern over the escalation, according to Deutsche Welle. The US, UK, Canada and Spain issued travel advisories and recommended avoiding Saudi airports, adevarul.ro reported. The US embassy in Riyadh said some American citizens were arrested in Saudi Arabia for taking photos of recent events, without giving a number or saying whether they were released.
