Saudi Arabia extends airport closure as Houthis warn 'worse is yet to come'

In short: Yemen's Houthis have warned airlines, travellers and airport workers to stay away from Saudi Arabian airports. It comes a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others. What's next? The Houthis said further Saudi military action in Yemen would trigger a stronger response, while world leaders called for de-escalation and the protection of civilian lives. Yemen's Houthis have warned airlines, travellers and airport workers to stay away from Saudi airports, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others. It was the deadliest such attack in the kingdom in more than a decade and comes amid an escalation of fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. "We renew our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theatre of operations for our forces, with the exception of the airports in (the holy cities of) Mecca and Medina," the Houthis said in a post on X on Sunday. "We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously, and Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions." Saudi authorities said that schools in the capital would be online until the end of the week. Meanwhile, the kingdom extended an ongoing airport closure until at least 9pm on Sunday, local time, according to Flightradar24. The Saudi embassy in Kuwait said it was organising buses to transport its citizens back to the kingdom after their flights were cancelled following the attacks. Houthi-Saudi conflict deepens Saudi Arabia has stepped up its military involvement in Yemen in recent weeks, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a Yemeni government counteroffensive after the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. Yemen's Houthi-run foreign ministry said on Sunday that further Saudi military action in Yemen would trigger a stronger response, adding that its actions would be guided by the principle of reciprocity. "Unless the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen, worse is yet to come, God willing," the ministry said in statements carried by Houthi-run Al Masirah television. The Houthis reported on Sunday that two air strikes hit Yemen's capital, Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities or reports of casualties. The Houthi-run health ministry says 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in five weeks. It said that 60 per cent of those killed were women and children. World leaders condemn attack The latest attack on the Saudi airport drew condemnations from Arab countries, including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The Iraqi prime minister's spokesman Sabah al-Numan warned the attack endangered "regional security and stability". "Iraq calls for a comprehensive cessation of military operations, to spare civilians and the peoples of brotherly countries the consequences and repercussions, and to ensure that civilian facilities are protected," he said in a statement. The United Arab Emirates said it stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and expressed support for "all measures" to safeguard the kingdom's security. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the attack. "Attacks by Iran's proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence," Ms Von der Leyen wrote Sunday on X. "They are destabilising crucial global transport and energy nodes." Mr Guterres said he was "deeply shocked" by the attack. "Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law. These attacks must cease immediately," he wrote on X. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he "firmly condemns" the attack, which 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 wrote on X. Meanwhile, UK Defence Minister Wes Streeting said the attacks were "contemptible" and a "dangerous escalation". President Donald Trump said on Saturday the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis in the conflict, a spillover from the wider war on Iran that the US and Israel launched in February. Reuters/AFP/AP