Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Escalate Middle East Tensions

Saudi Arabia reported renewed attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday, with two airports in the cities of Najran and Jizan sustaining damage and three people suffering light injuries. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating they had also targeted a third airport, Abha International Airport, on Tuesday. Saudi authorities have not yet confirmed the latest attack. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait, a city hosting a major military base.

Fighting continues in Yemen, with clashes around the strategic town of Dhubab, which the internationally recognized government had previously claimed to have retaken. Saudi Arabia and its allies are engaged in a military campaign to reclaim Houthi-controlled territory near the southern tip of the Red Sea to secure oil export routes.

In other developments, an outbound tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” on Monday, according to the British military. No casualties or environmental impact were immediately reported. Meanwhile, two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed two people, with Israel’s military stating it targeted militants in both attacks. This comes nearly a year after a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which began with a deadly Hamas attack in 2023.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a potential Hamas attack ahead of the country's upcoming elections, though he provided no evidence. Separately, an AFP photojournalist was beaten by Israeli settlers while covering the olive harvest in the West Bank, with Palestinian officials reporting multiple injuries and fatalities during this season. Additionally, Israeli authorities demolished a five-story building in east Jerusalem, citing the lack of construction permits, a process Palestinians say is nearly impossible to navigate.