Yemen's Houthi rebels launched fresh attacks against Saudi Arabia on Monday, following deadly missile strikes on Riyadh's international airport that killed passengers, some of whom were preparing to board flights to perform Umrah.
Saudi authorities extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport until midnight on October 17 following an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, and another on Sunday in which one person was killed.
The King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was also hit on Sunday evening, Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation said, with the damage being assessed.
The strikes came as Yemeni government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, clashed with Houthi rebels on the outskirts of the strategic south-western city of Taiz, repelling fresh attacks amid warnings that a tightening rebel siege is worsening conditions inside the Yemeni city. A military spokesman said on Monday that air strikes prevented the Houthis from sending reinforcements to Taiz.
At least 20 people have been killed in a series of attacks since last week on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and the Abha international airport in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province. Saudi state TV broadcast footage of the moment a missile struck the passenger terminal in Riyadh on Saturday, with flashes of light filling the screen as travellers, including pilgrims in white robes, scrambled for cover.
Ali, from Hyderabad, was travelling with his family on an Umrah pilgrimage when he was injured in Saturday’s attack. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed his death on Sunday and said it was in contact with his family to help arrange the repatriation of his remains.
Etihad Airways cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh until Monday, October 19, extending disruption to services between the UAE and the Saudi capital into next week. Flydubai has also cancelled Riyadh flights until Wednesday, October 14, while Emirates and Air Arabia services have been affected.
The Saudi-led coalition said it responded to drone and cruise missile threats against the kingdom on Monday, as hostilities with the Iran-backed Houthis continued despite diplomatic efforts, including a phone call between the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran, which supports the Houthis.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan that Tehran was ready to "provide assistance" to start talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis to reach a "political solution", Iranian state media reported.
"The Foreign Minister of our country, expressing concern over the escalation of tensions, emphasised that insisting on a military approach and ignoring political solutions would complicate the existing situation," Mr Araghchi was quoted as saying.
Amid the continued attacks on Saudi Arabia, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, called for stronger Gulf security and collective defence.
In his statement posted on X, Dr Gargash said the security of Gulf states as a whole was "indivisible". He stressed that attacks against Saudi Arabia also threatened the wider Gulf. “Targeting our sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia undermines the security of the UAE and all Gulf states,” he added. He warned that shortcomings in regional co-operation had contributed to the current challenges.
US Central Command chief Adm Brad Cooper said the US and its regional allies were deploying the “largest air-defence umbrella in the world” to deter Iranian attacks, describing the effort as part of an “enduring security architecture” in the Middle East.
“It was a vision we discussed with our regional allies and partners,” he told the audience in a recorded message at Trends Global's sixth annual conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. “Earlier this year, during Operation Epic Fury, we validated at full scale and in actual combat the Middle East Air Defence network known as Mead.
“Through our combined efforts, we transformed a concept into the most sophisticated and largest air-defence umbrella in the world,” he added.
“For the first time in history, US air defenders stood shoulder-to-shoulder with allies and partners across the Middle East, linking national systems in real time. And so together we intercepted thousands of Iranian attack drones and missiles with an integrated shield built on mutual trust. This is partnership in action.”