RIYADH, Oct 9 – Three people were killed in missile attacks targeting Riyadh airport on Thursday, Saudi authorities said on Friday, as Yemen’s Houthi movement intensified its campaign against Saudi Arabia amid a widening regional conflict linked to the war between the United States and Iran.
The attacks also injured several people, damaged a Saudia Airlines aircraft and disrupted air traffic at one of the kingdom’s main aviation hubs. Smoke was seen rising over the airport following the strikes, while airlines cancelled or suspended flights to the Saudi capital as security concerns mounted.
The escalation comes days before Riyadh is scheduled to host the WPC Energy Congress, an international gathering expected to bring together oil ministers, government officials and executives from major energy companies. The disruption has raised concerns about civilian aviation, regional security and the potential consequences for global energy markets.
Saudi authorities said airport operations had returned to normal by Friday. Flight-tracking data showed services gradually resuming, although cancellations and delays continued as airlines assessed the security situation. Saudia Airlines confirmed that one of those killed in Thursday’s attack was its employee.
The latest strikes represent a significant escalation in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis, whose military operations have increasingly extended beyond Yemen. The group has announced repeated ballistic missile attacks against the kingdom and threatened to restrict the use of Saudi airspace, raising the prospect of further disruption to commercial aviation and other critical infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia Launches Retaliatory Strikes as Fighting Intensifies in Yemen
Saudi Arabia responded to the latest attacks with overnight airstrikes against Houthi targets in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, according to Houthi officials and media outlets affiliated with the movement. The strikes form part of a broader Saudi military campaign intended to weaken the group’s positions, counter its recent territorial advances and reduce the threat it poses to international shipping.
A Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government said it had destroyed three missile launch platforms used by the Houthis. The coalition also warned that attacks against civilians would receive a firm response.
The latest exchange of attacks comes as fighting intensifies across several parts of Yemen, particularly around Taiz and the Red Sea coastline. The Houthis have encircled government forces in Taiz, the country’s third-largest city, and made advances in surrounding mountainous districts that have complicated efforts to maintain supply routes into the city.
Taiz has a population of more than half a million people and contains thousands of fighters aligned with the Yemeni government. The Houthis have cut off a key road connecting the city with surrounding areas, increasing pressure on government forces and raising concerns about the impact of prolonged fighting on residents.
The group is also attempting to defend positions along Yemen’s western coastline following a counteroffensive backed by Saudi Arabia. Last month, Houthi forces advanced rapidly along the Red Sea coast and established control over territory around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting Riyadh to increase its involvement in the conflict.
Government forces subsequently recaptured territory near the strait on Monday following intensive Saudi airstrikes and ground fighting. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said in a social media post on Friday that the Bab el-Mandeb area had been cleared of Houthi forces.
However, the situation on the ground remained contested. The claim could not be independently verified, and Houthi fighters continued to hold positions in Mocha, a coastal town farther north. Government forces were concentrating on fighting in nearby hills overlooking the surrounding region.
The competing claims highlight the difficulty of determining how much territory has changed hands during the latest offensive. Control of the coastline is particularly important because the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, making it a critical passage for international maritime trade.
The Houthis have also continued to threaten Saudi oil facilities, warning workers at energy installations that those sites could become targets. Such threats have added to concerns about the security of regional energy infrastructure at a time when oil supplies are already under pressure from the wider US-Iran conflict.
Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from Pakistan and Turkey, its partners under a mutual defense agreement signed in August, as it works to strengthen its defense against further Houthi attacks. Riyadh has also called for broader support from its allies to help reverse the movement’s territorial gains inside Yemen.
The latest developments demonstrate how the conflict has moved beyond a struggle for control within Yemen. Saudi Arabia now faces simultaneous challenges involving missile defence, commercial aviation, maritime security and the protection of strategically important infrastructure.
Houthi Threats Raise Aviation Risks and Deepen Energy Market Concerns
The Houthis reiterated their threats against aircraft flying over Saudi Arabia on Friday, declaring Saudi airspace a potential theatre of operations for their missile forces. The group said its restrictions would not apply to aircraft flying over the holy Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina.
The warning has increased uncertainty for airlines operating across the region, particularly those using Riyadh as a destination or transit point. Although some regional carriers continued to operate services, flight-tracking data showed numerous cancellations and delays as other airlines suspended operations.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced that it was extending the area covered by its advice against flying, citing the recent attacks on Riyadh airport and the associated risks to civilian aircraft. OPSGROUP, an aviation risk monitoring organization that provides operational guidance to airlines and flight crews, also advised against flying over Saudi Arabia.
The warnings reflect concerns that further missile launches could endanger aircraft, including those operating outside the immediate area of an attack. Aviation authorities and airlines must consider not only the likelihood of another strike but also the potential consequences of missile activity for flight paths, airport operations and emergency procedures.
The US Embassy in the United Arab Emirates separately urged Americans to exercise increased vigilance, pointing to Houthi attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia. The embassy warned that the hostilities could escalate rapidly, underscoring wider concerns about the potential spread of the conflict across the Gulf.
The attacks also come at a sensitive moment for Saudi Arabia’s energy sector. Riyadh is scheduled to host the WPC Energy Congress beginning Sunday, bringing together senior figures from the international oil and gas industry. The gathering is expected to include oil ministers, government representatives and executives from major energy companies.
Despite the security concerns, organisers were still advertising the event on Friday. Italy’s energy minister, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, said he would participate by video rather than attend in person. He did not publicly give a reason for the decision.
The disruption to air travel could complicate attendance and logistics for an event that comes as energy-producing countries face growing uncertainty over supply routes and regional stability.
Yemen’s civil war has become one of the most active fronts in the broader conflict that followed the US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. The fighting has added another layer of risk to an already volatile regional situation, with the Houthis targeting shipping in the Red Sea and threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while Iran has partly restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Both waterways are important to international trade and energy transportation. Any prolonged disruption could increase shipping costs, delay deliveries and intensify pressure on oil markets already responding to uncertainty over Gulf supplies.
The Houthis’ expanding campaign against Saudi Arabia therefore carries consequences beyond the immediate battlefield. Attacks on airports and threats against oil facilities could force governments and companies to reassess security arrangements, while continued fighting along Yemen’s coastline could further threaten commercial shipping.
For Saudi Arabia, the immediate challenge is to prevent additional strikes while supporting government forces struggling to regain territory inside Yemen. For the wider region, the concern is that continued retaliation could draw more countries into the conflict and increase the risks to civilian infrastructure, international aviation and maritime trade.
With airport security heightened, airlines reviewing routes and fighting continuing around Taiz and the Red Sea coast, the situation remained volatile on Friday. Whether Saudi-backed forces can reverse the Houthis’ recent gains, and whether diplomatic or military efforts can prevent further attacks, will be important factors in determining how far the conflict escalates in the coming days.