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Yemenupdated 33m ago3 min read

Houthi Attacks Keep Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport Closed, Saudi Aviation Extends Suspension

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Houthis killed 12 and injured 309 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi authorities suspended airport operations and extended closure of Riyadh airport.

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Houthi Attacks Keep Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport Closed, Saudi Aviation Extends Suspension
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Riyadh Airport Hit Again

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to complete procedures to verify the safety of the facilities after a new attack. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation reported that the attack claimed the life of a Pakistani resident and left 11 others injured, who were immediately transported to a hospital for medical care. The coalition led by Saudi Arabia fighting the Yemeni Houthi group said it intercepted and destroyed a drone and a ballistic missile aimed at Saudi Arabia, with coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki reporting the interceptions.

The sequence of attacks came after a Saturday Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and left 309 others injured, according to authorities. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud that insisting on a military approach would only worsen the situation, as the conflict with the Houthis escalated.

Reporting for this sectionAgencia Noticias ArgentinasAl Jazeera

Diplomacy Versus Escalation

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaiel Baghaei said Tehran was open to resolving the conflict through dialogue and stressed that “We do not want hostilities to continue between two Muslim countries”. Al Jazeera reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a telephone call that Iran is ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition said a projectile struck a passenger terminal at the international airport in Riyadh on Sunday, a day after a missile struck the same terminal and killed 13 people.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for both attacks, while Saudi authorities said one person described as a Pakistani national was killed and 11 were injured in the latest attack on the domestic terminal complex at King Khalid International Airport. The AP described the escalation as threatening to draw in greater U.S. military involvement, with President Donald Trump weighing joining the fight against the Houthis.

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Reporting for this sectionAl JazeeraAP News

What Yemen War Changes

The AP said the stakes in the escalation included global supplies and prices of oil and commercial shipping through a crucial alternative waterway to the Iran-threatened Strait of Hormuz, along with civilians and aviation throughout the region. The AP warned that a U.S. intervention could prompt the Houthis to halt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea off Yemen, further restricting the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf. The Al-Jazeera Net account said the Houthis continue to target Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure, pointing to the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that resulted in deaths, injuries and material damage.

The Al-Jazeera Net account also said the Saudi Foreign Minister received a phone call from his British counterpart إد ميليباند, who condemned Britain’s acts of violence waged by the Houthis and targeting inside Yemen and civil facilities in the Kingdom. Al-Manar TV Lebanon reported that Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced new military operations against Saudi targets in response to what he called “the brutal Saudi aggression against our country and our people,” including strikes that he said disrupted air traffic and led to the complete closure of King Khalid International Airport.

Reporting for this sectionAP NewsAl-Manar