Saudi Minister Vows Serious Response to Houthi Airport Strikes

Saudi Arabia has threatened a serious response to escalating Houthi attacks on its airports and energy infrastructure, following deadly strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that killed at least 13 people. The attacks, attributed to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement, come amid renewed fighting in Yemen and growing tensions across the Red Sea region.

Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman addressed the crisis at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, warning that the kingdom would respond to the recent escalation. Saudi authorities also reported that a Pakistani man was killed in an attack on an airport terminal on Sunday, one day after a separate missile strike killed 13 people and forced another terminal to close.

Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman emphasized the seriousness of the situation during his remarks at the congress.

"The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," said Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's energy minister.

The Houthis said their attacks were retaliation for Saudi military operations against areas under their control in western Yemen. A senior Houthi official said Saturday's attack was intended to draw international attention to the impact of Saudi strikes on Yemeni civilian infrastructure.

"So that the world understands," said the senior Houthi official, explaining the purpose of Saturday's attack.

The escalation has also brought renewed civilian casualties in Yemen. The Houthi-run health ministry said a child was killed and six other people were injured when a Saudi airstrike hit a home in Sanaa on Sunday.

The conflict has intensified since an informal ceasefire that had lasted about four years began unraveling in July. The Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and launched missile and drone attacks targeting airports, oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea, saying they were responding to restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-controlled territory.

The dispute has also centered on Sanaa airport. Saudi Arabia and its allies have sought to prevent unauthorized Iranian flights from landing there, while Yemen's internationally recognized government claimed responsibility for an earlier strike on the airport, saying it aimed to stop an unauthorized Iranian aircraft.

Military developments along Yemen's western coast have further raised the stakes. Last month, Houthi forces advanced along the southwestern Red Sea coast and captured territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The seizure has increased concerns about international shipping and energy supplies. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed during the US-Israeli war against Iran, Saudi Arabia had relied more heavily on the Red Sea to export oil, making access through Bab al-Mandab particularly important.

Last week, Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a new offensive to recover territory held by the Houthis. Pro-government forces said Saudi airstrikes helped them quickly retake areas around Bab al-Mandab, but the Houthis denied losing territory.

The conflict dates to 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and displaced the government. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support government forces, escalating a war that has caused extensive destruction and a humanitarian crisis. A de facto division of the country followed a period of de-escalation in 2022, but regional hostilities have since undermined that fragile arrangement.

The broader regional conflict has also weakened confidence in established security arrangements. Iran's attacks on Gulf countries during the war, including strikes on military and energy infrastructure, disrupted air travel and daily life, while renewed Houthi operations have added pressure on Saudi Arabia and its regional partners.

US President Donald Trump's administration declined last month to extend military assistance to Saudi Arabia for its campaign against the Houthis after US officials met with Houthi representatives. The group had assured US officials it would not attack American ships in the Red Sea, while maintaining its intention to target Saudi vessels.

Trump had described the US war against Iran as an "excursion," a characterization that highlighted growing questions over the reliability of Washington's security commitments to its Gulf allies.