Yemen’s Houthi movement has issued a public warning directing airlines, passengers, and airport personnel to steer clear of Saudi airports due to ongoing security vulnerabilities. The announcement followed a missile strike on Riyadh's main airport that resulted in 12 fatalities and left over 300 individuals injured, marking the third such assault targeting the Saudi capital's aviation facility within a single week.
In a message shared on social media, the Iran-backed group stated that Saudi aviation hubs and airspace had become active operational zones and were susceptible to further military actions. The directive explicitly excluded airports located in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Concurrently, the Houthi-administered Foreign Ministry cautioned Riyadh that continued military engagement in Yemen would provoke heavier retaliatory measures.
The warning coincides with an intensification of hostilities between Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed government forces. Saudi Arabia has stepped up air campaigns and supported counter-offensives following recent territorial gains by the Houthis along the Red Sea coast. Following the latest attack, United States President Donald Trump described the strike as terrible and noted that Washington was weighing participation in Saudi-led military operations against the group, against the backdrop of broader regional conflicts.
Saudi aviation authorities temporarily halted operations at the targeted airport to conduct comprehensive safety and damage evaluations, though a timeline for reopening was not immediately provided. Furthermore, the Saudi-led coalition reported that a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, while a separate drone was intercepted in that vicinity.
Despite the security situation, the Saudi energy ministry confirmed that a major international energy conference in Riyadh would move forward as planned. The five-day WPC Energy Congress opened roughly ten kilometers from the airport, drawing global ministers and corporate executives. In a parallel move to ensure public safety, Saudi officials suspended physical classes, shifting students and educational staff to remote learning for the week.