Saudi Arabia extends Riyadh airport closure following Houthi strikes
Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthi) forces struck deep inside Saudi Arabia with sweeping missile and drone attacks on Monday, prompting the kingdom to prolong operations shutdowns at its primary international hub as Saudi-backed forces launched airstrikes across Yemen and Iran offered to mediate the rapidly expanding conflict.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced an extension to the operational suspension at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, citing the need to complete inspections of damaged facilities and ensure structural safety following successive strikes over the past 48 hours that left casualties.
The disruption followed GACA’s announcement on Sunday that an attack on the facility on Saturday evening killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others, identifying the dead as four Saudi nationals and eight foreign residents.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has since confirmed the death of an injured Indian national, raising the confirmed death toll to 13.
In a statement delivered by military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Ansar Allah movement confirmed executing four military operations against Saudi targets over the past 24 hours utilizing ballistic missiles, winged cruise missiles, and combat drones.
The first operation struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh across three consecutive waves, according to Saree’s statement on X. The second hit an Aramco gas facility in the Eastern Province, while the third targeted the company’s Tanajib oil processing plant in the same region. The fourth operation struck King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.
The movement declared the operations “a response to the brutal Saudi aggression, which launched 124 airstrikes over the past 24 hours against the capital Sanaa and the governorates of Taiz, Marib, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, and Saada, bringing the total number of its airstrikes since the start of escalation to 2,058, committing major massacres against our people.”
Simultaneously, the Saudi-backed government’s Taiz Military Axis announced airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Al-Arsoum, Al-Maraziqan, and 60th Street north of Taiz, alongside Mount Al-Mun’am and Al-Khalwah hill west of the city, and the Central Security camp to the east.
Pro-government forces circulated combat footage purportedly documenting strikes on Ansar Allah fortifications across western Marib fronts, marking continuing multi-front engagements following the government’s launch of its “Fajr Al-Yaman” (Dawn of Yemen) offensive.
Ansar Allah-affiliated media reported that a Saudi airstrike struck a residential neighborhood along the Airport Road in Sanaa’s Al-Thawrah district, while another hit Hamdan district. A separate raid hit an apartment building in the city of Al-Turba within Taiz’s Al-Shamayatayn district, inflicting property damage, according to their reporting.
The Houthi movement renewed warnings directing international companies, civilian workers, and travelers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, declaring them active combat zones, while exempting facilities and airspace surrounding Mecca and Medina. The group affirmed its operations will proceed until the Saudi assault ceases and the blockade lifts.
Reflecting the widening security fallout, the US Embassy directed government personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia to obtain official travel clearances before utilizing airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, warning American citizens of imminent flight cancellations and Saudi airspace closures.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a notice advising US carriers to exercise caution when operating flights into or over Saudi territory due to safety hazards stemming from active military operations.
The British Embassy similarly advised its nationals against transit through Saudi airports—excluding Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport in Medina—while Australia updated its travel advisory regarding Riyadh’s airport.
Tehran offers mediation
Parallel to the military escalation, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held talks on Sunday evening with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi regarding regional developments and containment efforts, according to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that Araghchi expressed alarm over the expanding confrontation, warning that continued reliance on military force while abandoning political pathways will compound regional instability.
Araghchi affirmed Tehran’s readiness to facilitate direct dialogue between Riyadh and the Houthis, emphasizing that regional crises permit no military solution.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei echoed these concerns during a press briefing on Monday, pointing to strikes on Riyadh’s airport and sites across the Arabian Peninsula while reiterating Iran’s willingness to mediate between the warring parties.
Baghaei added that parties should have resolved the Yemen conflict earlier through an agreement between Yemenis and Saudi Arabia.