Saudi Arabia: second strike on Riyadh airport

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was struck by an "unidentified projectile" for the second time in two days on Sunday, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki also said that a cruise missile had been intercepted by air defense systems in the vicinity of the airport, but no further details were immediately available.

Sunday's strike came as the airport remained closed following an attack on Saturday which killed 12 people and injured over 300 more – the deadliest such strike on the kingdom in over a decade.

Houthis warn airlines after deadly Riyadh airport strike

Houthis warn airlines to avoid Saudi Arabia

It also came just hours after the Houthis warned airlines and travelers to avoid Saudi airports.

"We renew our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attack and have become a theater of operations for our forces," read a statement released on social media – adding that airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina would not be targeted.

"We ‌urge everyone to take our warnings seriously," the statement continued, stating: "Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions."

What now for Saudi Arabia after Riyadh airport attack?

Why are Saudi airports being targeted?

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 rebels seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month, including around the vital Bab al-Mandab strait.

The Houthi-run health ministry claimed this weekend that 91 Yemenis have been killed by the Saudi-led coalition in the last five weeks, 60% of them women and children.

Earlier on Sunday, the ministry said a child was killed and six people wounded in a suspected Saudi airstrike on a house in Sanaa.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the claims.

"Unless the Saudi enemy stops its aggression and interference in Yemen, worse is yet to come, God willing," the Houthi-run foreign ministry said in statements carried by Houthi-run Al Masirah television on Sunday, adding that its ​actions would be guided by the principle of reciprocity.

What has Saudi Arabia said about the Riyadh airport attacks?

Although the Houthis have not formally claimed responsibility, Saudi officials blamed the Iran-backed rebel group for Saturday's attack on the airport in the Saudi capital.

The Saudi-led coalition, which supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government in its conflict against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, vowed a tough response to the attack, which it labeled a "full-fledged war crime."

Yemeni broadcaster Al Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, said Saudi Arabia had struck the international airport in Sanaa on Sunday afternoon. 

The Houthi missile strike on Riyadh comes amid a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia this week, which have targeted other airports, military sites and oil infrastructure.

The spike in attacks has followed a major military offensive by the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis.

The rebels, one of Tehran's regional proxies, have been fighting Yemen's government, which is recognized by the international community, since the outbreak of a civil war over a decade ago.

While a truce in 2022 froze the conflict, it failed to secure a lasting peace deal. The US-Israeli war with Iran has seen fighting flare up again in Yemen, worsening an already severe humantiarian crisis.

Can Yemen's government turn the tide against the Houthis?

How has the international community reacted to the Riyadh strikes?

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would be speaking to Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the wake of the attack, which he said was "not acceptable."

Trump also said that the US was "going to look" at potentially joining Saudi strikes against the rebels.

On Sunday, European leaders expressed their "shock" at the attack on Riyadh airport.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the EU stands in "solidarity with Saudi Arabia" as she condemned the "dangerous escalation."

"These attacks by Iran's proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence. They are destabilizing crucial global transport and energy nodes with shockwaves sent through the world," von der Leyen said.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul "firmly" condemned what 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 said on X.

The UK's defense secretary Wes Streeting slammed the attacks as "contemptible" and a "dangerous escalation," while the French Foreign Ministry condemned the "heinous attack" and stressed its "total solidarity" with Saudi Arabia.

Russia, which is a strategic partner of Iran, also condemned the Houthis' attack and called for the hostilities to end "through political and diplomatic means."

Australia, meanwhile, has urged its citizens in the Saudi capital to "shelter in place" amid the escalating attacks.
 

Why can't the Saudis defeat the Houthis?

Edited by: Wesley Rahn

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