In what is rapidly becoming a grim routine, a second Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Sunday killed one person and injured 11 others, according to Saudi officials. Because nothing says "escalating operations" like hitting the same airport twice in 48 hours.
The projectile struck the airport, causing a fire in one of its passenger halls. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, using the social media platform X (because where else would you announce a casualty?), confirmed that the deceased was a Pakistani resident. This comes just a day after a strike on the same airport killed 13 people and injured 308 others, following similar strikes earlier in the week.
The Houthis in Yemen, never ones to shy away from a spotlight, claimed responsibility and helpfully warned airlines and passengers to avoid Saudi Arabian airports and airspace altogether. Their military spokesman, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, said they had targeted the airport with a mix of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, over the past 24 hours. They also attacked oil facilities and Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia, because why limit yourself to one target when you can multitask?
Saree vowed to continue these "escalating operations deep inside Saudi Arabia," adding that all Saudi airports are potential targets - except, of course, those in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. So, you know, consider yourself warned.
The Houthis say they're targeting Saudi Arabia over its support for government forces in Yemen's civil war, as well as an air strike on the airport in Sanaa. On Sunday, Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said air defences had intercepted a missile near the airport in Riyadh, while authorities dealt with the fire caused by an "unknown projectile" that hit Passenger Hall No 4. "Unknown projectile" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.
US President Donald Trump has said the US would "make a decision" and "move very quickly" on whether to strike the Houthis, while UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting suggested the UK could "potentially" provide more support for Saudi Arabia. Because nothing says decisive action like a "potential" maybe.
Saturday's strike was the deadliest single attack on a Gulf Arab country since the war between Israel, the US and Iran began in February. The Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond, calling it a "war crime." The dead included four Saudi nationals, two people from Bangladesh, and one person each from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that an Indian man had succumbed to his injuries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks and confirmed a US citizen was killed. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was "appalled." Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office is advising against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, including areas within 10km (6.2 miles) of the border with Yemen, while other western embassies have warned their nationals about travel in the region. So much for that business trip.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said "the Saudi enemy" had launched an air strike on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen's capital. A residential home in the city was also struck, killing a child and injuring six people, the outlet reported. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed these attacks and the BBC has been unable to verify this report. So we're in the "he said, she said" phase.
Abdullah Al-Alimi Bawazir, vice-president of Yemen's internationally recognised government, called for "decisive actions" from regional and international partners. Because clearly, the situation is just begging for more decisive actions.
Riyadh's airport was struck on Thursday, an attack that killed three Saudi nationals. The Houthis claimed responsibility and said they had used cruise missiles. There were two other deadly attacks on Saudi airports in Abha and Riyadh in the two days prior to that. It's almost like someone is keeping score.
The latest uptick in violence comes after a temporary ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi-led forces, brokered in 2022, collapsed in July. The conflict worsened after the Houthis seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast in a rapid offensive, prompting Saudi strikes. Yemeni pro-government forces later said they had secured the regions. Because nothing says "secured" like a back-and-forth.
The Houthis currently control around a quarter of Yemeni territory and as much as 80% of the country's population. The Iran-backed armed group hopes to eventually seize complete control. Saudi Arabia fears this would lead to the establishment of an Iranian satellite state on its southern border. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Saudi Arabian counterpart on Sunday that his country was ready to provide assistance to "facilitate dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen," referring to the Houthi administration. Because when you're backing one side in a civil war, offering to "facilitate dialogue" is the diplomatic equivalent of bringing a knife to a gunfight and calling it a peace offering.