Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh came under attack by Yemen’s Houthi group on Monday night, with the group claiming to have targeted the city’s airport following repeated strikes over the weekend.
The Houthis said they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile and also claimed an attack on King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait.
A Western official in Riyadh confirmed to Middle East Eye (MEE) that multiple blasts and explosions were heard across the capital, while videos circulating on social media appeared to show large fires. MEE said it could not independently verify the footage.
The strikes highlight the widening scope of the war in Yemen and pose a serious challenge to Saudi Arabia’s economic ambitions.
The Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia come amid rising tensions across the Middle East, with the region facing the possibility of renewed US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that it had attacked a supertanker in the Strait of Hormuz as the vessel attempted to leave the waterway.
The reported strike would mark the third attack on vessels in the strait in two days.
Middle East Eye via UNB