On October 7, 2026, Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for two separate attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia, resulting in three fatalities. The strikes targeted Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airports. According to Saudi officials, the attack on Abha Airport killed Moroccan and Algerian residents and injured 28 others, while the strike on King Khalid Airport claimed the life of a Sudanese national and wounded eight more.
The attacks occurred amid escalating tensions as Saudi Arabia becomes increasingly involved in the latest front of the Iran war. In response, Saudi Arabia has bolstered security measures around key oil facilities, including the state-run Aramco’s fuel tanks and equipment near Riyadh’s airport. The kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter, has seen repeated targeting of its oil and military assets, raising concerns about the stability of crucial shipping routes.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, reported that forces intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh and destroyed a platform in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, used to launch attacks on the Saudi capital. The authenticity of these claims could not be independently verified by the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces have launched a significant ground and air offensive to retake territory seized by the Houthis a month ago along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. These positions have allowed the Houthis to enhance their surveillance and impose a blockade on Saudi-linked shipping. On October 6, 2026, coalition forces reported recapturing several key areas around the strait, a vital route through which about 12% of global trade transits.