Yemen's Houthis warn passengers not to use Saudi airports

Yemen's Houthis warn passengers not to use Saudi airports October 11, 2026Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday warned passengers not to use airports in Saudi Arabia, a day after a deadly missile attack on Riyadh airport. The attack, which killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, is the deadliest on any Gulf Arab country since the start of the Iran war. "The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all aviation and navigation companies, experts, staff, workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace," military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X. "The airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces," he said, adding that the airports of Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam, would not be targeted. The spokesman cautioned that the rebels' warning should be taken "seriously", and that Saudi Arabia "bore responsibility" for failing to intercept the missiles that struck the airport on Saturday. Operations at Riyadh airport, which has no military facilities, were suspended after Saturday's attack. Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said the airport's closure has been extended until at least 9 p.m. Sunday. What has Saudi Arabia said about the Riyadh airport attack? Although the Houthis have not formally claimed responsibility, Saudi officials have blamed the Iran-backed rebel group for Saturday's attack on the airport in the Saudi capital. The Saudi-led coalition, which supports the Yemeni government in its conflict against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, has vowed a tough response to the attack, which it labeled a "fully-fledged war crime." The missile strike on Riyadh comes amid a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia this week, which have targeted other airports, military sites and oil infrastructure. The spike in attacks has followed a major military offensive by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. The rebels, one of Tehran's regional proxies, have been fighting Yemen's government, which is recognized by the international community, since the outbreak of a civil war over a decade ago. While a truce in 2022 froze the conflict, it failed to secure a lasting peace deal. The US-Israeli war with Iran has seen fighting flare up again in Yemen, worsening an already severe humantiarian crisis. How has the international community reacted to the Riyadh strikes? US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would be speaking to Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the wake of the attack, which he said was "not acceptable." Trump also said that the US was "going to look" at potentially joining Saudi strikes against the rebels. On Sunday, European leaders expressed their "shock" at the attack on Riyadh airport. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU stands in "solidarity with Saudi Arabia" as she condemned the "dangerous escalation." "These attacks by Iran's proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence. They are destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes with shockwaves sent through the world," von der Leyen said. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul "firmly" condemned what he described as "a terrorist act against Saudi Arabia and civil aviation". "Our thoughts are with the victims and I send my sincere condolences to their loved ones," he said on X. Edited by: Wesley Rahn If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google, so you'll always see our verified news first.