Houthi missile barrage hits Riyadh airport, sparks wider regional tensions
Yemen's Houthi group fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport and struck a nearby air base, triggering multiple explosions in Riyadh.
On Monday night, Yemen's Houthi movement claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and to have targeted King Khaled Air Base near Khamis Mushait. A western official in the city confirmed multiple explosions, and social-media footage displayed raging fires, though the video could not be independently verified. Saudi officials ordered the airport to stay closed until 17 October, a disruption that comes ahead of the Future Investment Initiative summit.
The strikes reflect a widening of the Yemen conflict and heightened rivalry over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's IRGC recently attacked a supertanker. Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that U.S. tech infrastructure in the region could become a target if hostilities resume. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman emphasized safety while pursuing plans to raise oil export capacity to up to 10 million barrels per day.
Why it matters
The attacks endanger Saudi infrastructure, threaten a major investment event, and signal broader regional escalation.
How this story developed
- Oct 11 Missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12, injures over 300
- Oct 11 Saudi authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport.
- Oct 11 The strike on the Riyadh passenger terminal sparked a fire and prompted air-defence interception of a missile nearby. The Houthi movement said the attack responded to Saudi aggression, including a recent strike on Sanaa airport. The incident follows a larger assault the previous day that injured over 300 people and disrupted travel, prompting foreign executives to withdraw from the World Petroleum Congress. Saudi authorities assure heightened security for the upcoming World Petroleum Congress and the Future Investment Initiative.
- Oct 11 He also named King Fahd Airport in Dammam, an Aramco‑affiliated petrol station and a refinery in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region as targets.
- Oct 11 A second projectile hit the airport a day after the missile strike, raising the death toll to 13.
- Oct 12 A Pakistani national died in the latest projectile strike.
- Oct 12 The Omani embassy thanked Saudi authorities for the medical care provided to an injured Omani doctor.
- Oct 12 Saudi officials announced the continued closure of King Khalid International Airport pending safety inspections.
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