Saudi Arabia has warned of a severe response to Houthi attacks as fighting between the two sides escalated with fresh drone and missile fire on Monday. The conflict, rooted in Yemen’s civil war, sees Saudi Arabia backing the Yemeni government against Iran‑aligned Houthis. A fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 broke down in July amid the Iran war, setting the stage for recent hostilities.
On Saturday, the kingdom suffered its worst attack in more than a decade when a Houthi strike on a major Riyadh airport killed at least 13 people and injured around 300, many believed to be pilgrims en route to Mecca. A subsequent Sunday attack killed one and wounded nearly a dozen. Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the response would be “equally serious” given the gravity of the attacks.
The attacks continued into Monday, prompting the Saudi‑led coalition to report a new barrage of drone and missile fire and to keep Riyadh airport closed. Authorities also shut King Khalid International Airport, the city’s second‑busiest hub. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported 82% of flights from Riyadh were cancelled, with overall cancellations across Saudi airports reaching 46.4%. Lufthansa cancelled all Riyadh flights until 16 October, and the WPC Energy Conference lost several top oil executives from its program. Despite these disruptions, Energy Minister Salman reaffirmed the kingdom’s focus on attracting investment and developing its energy system.
Global markets reacted to the attacks, with Brent crude climbing to near two‑week highs above $106 a barrel. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has not appeared publicly since a blood‑donation event on Tuesday, instead being moved between heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers and protected by a handpicked security team amid the heightened security threats.
