Saudi Arabia faces deadliest airport strikes from Houthi militants, killing 14

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is a major Middle Eastern kingdom and leading global energy producer with extensive international alliances, including security cooperation with the United States. It leads a coalition supporting Yemeni government forces in the ongoing conflict with Houthi rebels. In this news, the kingdom has faced a series of Houthi missile and drone strikes on its civilian airports, marking a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities. Houthi militants: Houthi militants, also known as Ansar Allah, are an Iran-backed armed movement based in Yemen that controls significant territory and maintains advanced missile and drone capabilities. They have intensified attacks on Saudi infrastructure as part of their broader campaign against the Saudi-led coalition. In this development, they repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, claiming responsibility for strikes that caused multiple fatalities and operational shutdowns. • King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was struck repeatedly, including a missile attack that killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. • A subsequent strike on the airport killed one Pakistani resident and injured 11 others. • Earlier Houthi-claimed attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha killed three additional people. • Saudi authorities and U.S. officials attributed the attacks to Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, although responsibility for every individual strike was not immediately confirmed. • Riyadh airport was closed after the deadliest attack, and airlines canceled or disrupted flights. • The attacks represent a major escalation in the Saudi-Yemeni front during the broader Iran war.