The Houthi movement has issued a public warning to travelers and commercial airlines, cautioning them against using Saudi airports following a recent deadly assault on the Saudi capital. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Saudi airspace and airports are now exposed to targeting and constitute an active theater of operations, declaring that the group is pursuing a strategy of airport for airport, siege for siege, and escalation for escalation. The group specified that airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina would be exempt from the warning.
The announcement follows a weekend missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which breached Saudi air defenses and hit terminals 3 and 4 where passengers were waiting for domestic flights. Saudi officials reported that the attack killed at least 12 people and injured 309 others. The fatalities include citizens from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Palestine, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Sudan. Additionally, a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which has served as a key alternative hub during the recent wave of disruptions.
The Houthis have targeted the primary international airport multiple times over the past fortnight amid escalating fighting within Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government launched a major offensive this week to counter rapid territorial gains by the Houthis, who have recently seized islands in the Bab al-Mandab strait and strengthened positions along the Red Sea to control vital shipping lanes.
In response to the Riyadh attack, which marked one of the deadliest incidents in Saudi Arabia in over a decade, US President Donald Trump stated that Washington is weighing whether to join Saudi Arabia in carrying out retaliatory airstrikes against the Iran-backed movement. Trump indicated that administration officials would review the situation quickly before making a decision on potential US military involvement.