Houthis warn airlines to avoid Saudi airports after deadly Riyadh attack

Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned airlines and passengers against using Saudi Arabia’s airports and airspace, declaring them potential targets following a deadly attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed 12 people and injured more than 300.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree reiterated the group’s warning to airline companies, saying Saudi airports and airspace could be targeted in further military operations.

The warning excluded the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Saree urged airlines and passengers to take the threat seriously, while blaming Saudi Arabia for what he described as unsuccessful interception attempts.

The statement did not directly claim responsibility for Saturday’s attack. However, the Iran-backed group had previously said it was behind separate strikes on the same airport on Thursday, which killed three people and damaged an aircraft.

Saudi authorities said the 12 people killed in Saturday’s attack included four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshi nationals and one citizen each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.

The attack has raised serious concerns about the security of Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure and the potential for the widening regional conflict to disrupt international aviation.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic at the airport, with passengers fleeing as smoke rose above the terminal. Video footage showed smoke billowing over the facility following the strike.

The incident is being described as the deadliest single attack on a Gulf Arab state since the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran began in February.

The Houthis have intensified their attacks on Saudi targets in recent weeks, threatening infrastructure vital to the kingdom’s economy. Saudi Arabia has responded with air strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.

US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi Arabia in further military action against the group.

Asked whether the United States would participate in strikes, Trump said a decision had not yet been made, adding that his administration had only recently learned of the latest attack.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks and confirmed that an American citizen had been killed.

Britain has also condemned the strike. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the United Kingdom was already providing Saudi Arabia with air-to-air refuelling support and indicated that further assistance could potentially be considered. However, he stressed that Britain was not currently planning offensive military operations.

Streeting said the attack on a civilian target could not be justified under any circumstances, adding that there was no military solution to the wider conflict.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed shock at the attack, describing it as a violation of international law. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the incident as a dangerous escalation and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar joined the international condemnation, warning that the attack threatened regional stability and civilian safety.

Despite the violence, a major energy conference scheduled to take place in Riyadh near the airport was expected to proceed, with organisers confirming that the World Petroleum Congress would run from October 11 to 15.

The latest escalation comes amid growing fears that the wider conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States could intensify further. With the Houthis continuing to threaten Saudi infrastructure, concerns are mounting over the security of regional air travel, energy facilities and key economic centres.