Saudi Arabia Claims Destruction of 10 Houthi Ballistic Missiles as Riyadh Faces Missile Threat
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated, with the Saudi-led coalition claiming to have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi group has warned airlines, airport staff and travellers against using Riyadh’s international airport, declaring it an unsafe military target.
Saudi Arabia has reopened King Khalid International Airport nearly two weeks after Houthi attacks reportedly forced the facility to suspend operations. Domestic and international flights have resumed from Terminals 1 and 2, following the limited resumption of domestic services last week. However, continued Houthi drone and missile attacks towards the Saudi capital have raised concerns over airport security.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree described the airport as unsafe and urged international, regional and local airlines, along with their staff and passengers, to avoid using the facility, warning that it remained a military target for Houthi forces.
Meanwhile, Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, said the coalition had intercepted and destroyed 10 ballistic missiles launched by Houthi fighters towards Saudi Arabia’s southern region. Independent verification of the claim was not immediately available.
Saudi Arabia has also reported that fragments from intercepted Houthi missiles fell in Mecca and Jeddah. Yemen’s government, meanwhile, has accused the Houthis of launching an attack on Aden.
In a separate development, Yemeni government forces have launched a counteroffensive to recapture coastal territory held by the Houthis near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The latest escalation follows a sharp increase in fighting in Yemen last month, which reportedly shattered a United Nations-brokered ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.
Amid the regional tensions, US President Donald Trump has said Washington is considering a possible military strike against Iran as soon as Sunday. He indicated that the United States might have to “finish the job” or reach a deal with Tehran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, blamed the United States for derailing talks on an interim agreement. Criticising American negotiators, he described them as “cowards” who had “messed everything up”, while maintaining that Tehran should continue efforts to reach an agreement.
The growing confrontation involving Iran, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels has heightened concerns over regional security, the stability of Yemen and the safety of international air travel across the Middle East.
