Houthi attack on Riyadh airport kills 13, injures over 300 as Yemen’s Iran-backed group claims strikes on King Khalid Airport, Aramco facilities and other Saudi targets. The group has also issued a Saudi airspace warning as tensions over the Yemen conflict intensify.
Houthis claim deadly Riyadh airport attack as tensions escalate
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that reportedly killed 13 people, including an Indian national, and injured more than 300 others.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group carried out several operations against targets across Saudi Arabia, including the Riyadh airport, an Aramco-linked fuel facility, an oil refinery in the Eastern Region and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. He claimed the Riyadh strike disrupted air traffic and forced the airport to close temporarily.
The latest casualty figure cited in reports stood at 13, after earlier accounts had placed the death toll at 12. Saudi authorities have continued assessing damage and security conditions around the airport.
King Khalid Airport attack
Saudi authorities said Riyadh’s main international airport was targeted again on Sunday, with an unidentified projectile striking Terminal 4 and starting a fire. Saudi air defences also intercepted a cruise missile near the airport.
Operations were temporarily suspended while aviation authorities carried out safety inspections and assessed damage. The attack has heightened concern over the vulnerability of major civilian transport hubs as the conflict with the Houthis expands beyond Yemen.
US President Donald Trump condemned the airport strike as “terrible” and said Washington was considering whether to support further Saudi military action against Houthi targets.
Saudi airspace warning
Following the attacks, the Houthis issued a direct warning to airlines, airport employees and travellers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace.
Saree said airports and Saudi airspace had become potential targets and could be treated as an operational theatre by Houthi forces. He said the warning would remain in place as long as Saudi military action in Yemen continued.
The group, however, said the holy cities of Mecca and Medina would not be targeted.
Houthi airport threat
The warning represents a major escalation because repeated threats against civilian aviation could disrupt regional travel even when individual airports remain operational.
The Houthis have increasingly relied on ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in attacks against Saudi infrastructure. Their latest statement suggests airports, energy installations and other strategic facilities could remain targets if fighting continues.
Saudi Arabia has strengthened air defences around critical infrastructure while continuing military operations against Houthi positions in Yemen.
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Saudi response
The Houthi-run foreign ministry warned that a stronger response would follow if Saudi Arabia continued what it described as aggression and interference in Yemen.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed Yemeni officials called for stronger regional and international action. Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazir, vice president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said condemnation alone was no longer sufficient and called for measures aimed at accountability and deterrence.
Yemen conflict
The latest attacks underline how rapidly the Yemen conflict is spilling into the wider Gulf security environment. Airports, oil infrastructure and international transport routes have increasingly become part of the confrontation.
Despite the security situation, Saudi officials said a major international energy conference in Riyadh would proceed. The immediate focus now remains on restoring full airport operations, assessing the scale of damage and determining whether the latest Houthi threats will lead to further escalation across Saudi Arabia.
