Trump accuses Houthis of pushing up oil prices after Riyadh airport strike

Trump blames the Houthis for oil price moves

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, 13 October, that Yemen's Houthi militants were deliberately trying to drive up oil prices before the US midterm elections on 3 November. In a Truth Social post he wrote that the group had resumed attacks at Iran's behest after a period of relative quiet that followed US strikes in Yemen in 2025. He said he had thought the Houthis had learned their lesson, and that his warning was not limited to the vote. Trump's words on the group were:

The Houthis are behaving very badly

He made clear the warning would outlast the ballot, writing:

I'll be there after the elections, and I will never forget!

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump told reporters he "might" ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene in support of Saudi interests, saying Erdogan would do as he asked.

Riyadh airport strikes and Saudi warnings

Houthi attacks have included strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which was forced to close. A strike there on Saturday, 10 October, killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300 by some counts. Other reports give at least 12 dead, and one account counted at least 18 dead across the series of strikes on the airport. On Sunday, 11 October, one more person was killed and nearly a dozen were hurt in another attack on the airport. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade, and several airlines have suspended service to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia had stopped issuing public warnings of imminent attacks days before the strikes, and the government has not said why. The civil defence agency and the government media office did not respond to emailed questions.

Ground fighting and threats in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition issued a rare statement on Tuesday asking civilians in Sanaa to leave the Yemeni Oil Company site and nearby storage areas in al-Subaha ahead of a possible strike. The area sits on a hill overlooking the capital and is not densely populated, but a fuel station nearby is used by the public. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Telegram that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would meet a "firm and painful" response in Riyadh. The coalition's spokesman, Turki al Maliki, said on social media that three ballistic missiles had been intercepted and destroyed, two aimed at Jamis Mushait in the southwest and one at Riyadh.

Jamis Mushait

2

Riyadh

1

Jamis Mushait

2 missiles

Riyadh

1 missiles

The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have fought the Saudi-backed government since 2014. The escalation followed the rebels seizing key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in September, a waterway critical for Gulf oil shipments. Yemeni government forces announced a large-scale offensive on 4 October to recover territory captured by the Houthis and to advance toward Sanaa, backed by the Riyadh-led coalition.

1. 2026-09Houthis seize key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
2. Oct 4, 2026Houthis capture a key town near Taiz, largely encircling the city
3. Oct 10, 2026Strike on Riyadh airport kills 12 or 13 people, depending on report, and wounds more than 300
4. Oct 11, 2026Second attack on the airport kills one more person
5. Oct 13, 2026Trump accuses Houthis of seeking to raise oil prices before the midterms

In Taiz, Yemen's third largest city with more than 1 million residents, the Houthis captured a key town on 4 October, largely encircling the city and cutting off most access to supplies from government-held areas. Residents said diesel and cooking gas supplies were running low, and merchants were raising food and water prices.

Diplomacy and sporting fallout

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia immediately, and urged diplomacy between Iran and the United States to avert further escalation. On Monday, 12 October, Erdogan said Turkey stands with Saudi Arabia against what he called lawless and inhumane attacks. On Tuesday he told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a call that Turkey would stand by the kingdom, according to the Turkish presidency's communications office.

Sport is also affected. The Asian Tour said it is closely monitoring the situation ahead of the PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club from 18 to 21 November, and that any schedule changes will be announced once a course of action is set. The circuit stated:

The safety of our players, staff and service teams is always our number one priority.

Football Australia said its security team is also monitoring the situation, ahead of the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from 7 January to 5 February 2027, with 24 teams and five of the eight venues in Riyadh.