Houthi Attacks Intensify Saudi Security Crisis

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition said it intercepted three missiles launched by the Houthis: one aimed at Riyadh and two at Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Residents of Riyadh reported explosions on Monday night after receiving a warning of an aerial threat. The Houthis said Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was their target and claimed to have sent a drone toward a military airbase near Khamis Mushait. Their spokesman warned airlines and travellers against using Saudi airports, with Mecca and Medina excepted. The attacks follow strikes over the weekend that killed at least 14 people and injured more than 300. The airport in Riyadh remains closed, and airlines have cancelled or suspended services. The Houthis have also attacked Saudi oil facilities. The violence is part of the wider conflict in Yemen, where the Houthis are fighting forces aligned with the internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The article links the escalation to regional tensions surrounding the US-Israeli war on Iran. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the attacks tested the kingdom’s resilience, while insisting that investment and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plan must continue. Saudi authorities are investigating how the weekend barrage reached the airport. Officials told the Associated Press that an initial inquiry indicated drones may have been used to clear a route for cruise and ballistic missiles. Investigators are also examining why the attack was not detected sooner, given the weapons travelled more than 1,000 kilometres. US President Donald Trump criticised the Houthis but did not signal intervention. A Houthi official warned that US involvement would prompt retaliation and described Saudi airports and oil facilities as legitimate targets. The insecurity has disrupted aviation and put major Riyadh events under pressure. Etihad and Gulf Air cancelled flights, while Delta delayed a planned Atlanta–Riyadh service.

The supplied content does not include the liveblog’s 23 updates or any substantive article text. It consists of the headline, “Iran war live: Trump says Houthis ‘misbehaving’ as Riyadh flights halted,” followed by website advertising and an alert prompt. The headline indicates that the liveblog concerns the US-Israel war on Iran and highlights two developments: Donald Trump’s comment that the Houthis were “misbehaving,” and flights being halted in Riyadh. The provided material does not explain what prompted Trump’s remark, which flights were halted, how long the disruption lasted, or whether the two events were connected. It also contains no reporting, quotes beyond the headline, or additional context from which to assess the developments. Accordingly, a fuller summary of the article and its 23 updates cannot be produced without the missing text. The available headline frames the content as a developing news story, while the body supplied here is limited to advertising and a notification prompt.

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman, has vowed a “serious” response to escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom’s airports and energy infrastructure. The latest strikes have killed civilians at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, including a Pakistani resident on Sunday and 13 people in a missile attack the previous day. Other attacks have hit an airport facility and an aircraft, and Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport has also been targeted. Saudi forces say they have intercepted missiles and drones, while the Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on airports and energy facilities and warn airlines and passengers against using Saudi airspace. The violence has disrupted air travel: Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam, Etihad has cancelled several routes, and King Khalid airport is expected to remain closed until Saturday. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis accuse one another of aggression. The Houthis say their attacks retaliate for Saudi air strikes in Yemen, including strikes they say killed a child in Sanaa; the Saudi-led coalition supports Yemeni government forces fighting the Houthis. Speaking at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, Prince Abdul Aziz said recent events had tested Saudi infrastructure, institutions and resilience, but promised the kingdom would overcome the challenges. The attacks have drawn international condemnation. UN Secretary General António Guterres said strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law, while US President Donald Trump said he would decide whether the United States would join Saudi strikes. Iran expressed concern and called for dialogue, while denying that it supplies the Houthis with weapons or training. The article places the escalation in the context of Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 and intensified after the Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015. An informal ceasefire has weakened since the Houthis announced a maritime embargo and began attacks on Saudi targets. The Houthis’ advance near the Bab al-Mandab Strait and renewed fighting have compounded regional tensions and contributed to rising oil prices, especially after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed amid the US-Israeli war with Iran. Yemen’s government has announced a new offensive to retake Houthi-held territory.

The live report describes an escalating regional conflict involving Iran, Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, with possible consequences for U.S. policy, aviation and oil markets. The article’s opening says at least 20 people, including a U.S. national, have been killed in a week of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia’s main airport. The attacks have pushed Brent crude above $105 per barrel and prompted President Donald Trump to consider joining the Saudi-led offensive against the Houthis in Yemen. Fighting is also reported near the Strait of Hormuz; the U.S. military says it disabled a cargo vessel after its crew allegedly ignored warnings and tried to breach a naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels. In the latest update, Saudi Arabia is investigating how its air defenses failed to stop an earlier missile-and-drone barrage on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Regional officials say at least 13 people were killed and more than 300 wounded. Initial findings suggest Houthi drones may have preceded cruise and ballistic missiles, which traveled over 620 miles. The investigation is also examining why residents did not receive earlier warning. The Houthis later claimed another missile attack on the airport, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted a missile; explosions were heard in Riyadh and residents received an aerial-threat alert. The report also notes that Delta postponed its planned Atlanta–Riyadh nonstop service until March 2027 because of the attacks. Separately, Iran denied British allegations that Tehran coordinated a security incident at RAF Fairford, while NATO allies condemned alleged Iranian hostile activity and backed the U.K.’s assessment. The U.K. announced sanctions against two Iranian nationals. Taken together, the updates portray a widening crisis marked by civilian casualties, disputed responsibility, threats to air travel, diplomatic accusations and the risk of further military escalation.

This page is presented as a live Middle East news update dated October 13, 2026. Its main headline reports that a Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at a southern city. The accompanying headline list also says the Houthis claimed a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh airport, Etihad extended cancellations of Riyadh flights through October 19, and a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK maritime agency. Other listed developments include a condemnation of Iran by the United States, Britain, France and 26 other countries over alleged attacks, and an IMF reduction to its 2026 growth forecasts for Gulf economies. The page includes additional video and update teasers concerning victims of Houthi attacks on Riyadh, footage of a missile strike at Riyadh airport, remarks by a Saudi minister, missing Indian seafarers after a drone attack in the Gulf of Oman, and US military action against a cargo ship said to have breached an Iran blockade. Further teasers refer to President Donald Trump considering participation in Saudi strikes, comments about Iran, Israel’s military line in Syria, aircraft moved from a UK base, and Yemeni forces’ claim to control the Bab Al Mandeb strait. The supplied page text contains no full article paragraphs or detailed reporting behind these headlines. It therefore establishes the range of reported regional security, diplomatic, aviation and economic developments, but does not provide enough information to verify details, explain the events, or describe responses beyond the wording of the teasers.

According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking Saudi Arabia’s approval for Israel to join a military campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The United States is reportedly mediating between Israel and Saudi Arabia. A diplomatic source cited by Haaretz said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opposes Israeli participation, concerned that it could provoke a public backlash in the kingdom. Another source said Netanyahu’s proposal may also be intended to improve relations with Riyadh and prepare the ground for a future normalisation agreement. The diplomatic effort faces longstanding obstacles. US President Donald Trump has advocated normalising Saudi-Israeli relations under the Abraham Accords, and a deal appeared close in 2023. That prospect was derailed by Hamas’s October 7 attack and the ensuing war in Gaza. Saudi Arabia has said it will not normalise relations without substantial progress toward establishing a Palestinian state, while Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood. The reported initiative comes amid an escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The article reports that a ballistic missile strike on Saturday killed at least 12 people and injured 309; an attack on Sunday killed one person and wounded another. Netanyahu condemned Saturday’s airport attack as a “horrific terrorist attack” and expressed condolences to the victims’ families on Israel’s behalf. Houthi attacks have also targeted Saudi airports and oil installations. The conflict has heightened concerns about regional security and the safety of important shipping routes, particularly the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which a significant share of global trade passes. The article concludes that Israeli involvement could complicate Riyadh’s position, given domestic opposition to closer ties with Israel and the unresolved Palestinian issue. Saudi approval remains a major obstacle to Netanyahu’s reported effort.

The National’s editorial argues that escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthis on Saudi Arabia demonstrate the need for stronger collective security and cooperation among Gulf and Arab states. It cites diplomatic adviser Dr Anwar Gargash’s call for stronger Gulf defence and says the attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport impose human costs while threatening the region’s wider prosperity. Because Gulf economies depend on shared transport links, energy infrastructure, shipping routes and investor confidence, disruption in one country can affect airlines, businesses, investors and neighbouring economies. Aviation is especially exposed: the Gulf’s role as a hub connecting Europe, Asia and Africa relies on dependable routes, and attacks can force rerouting, raise costs and undermine tourism, trade and international connections. The editorial also stresses environmental risks. Damage to oil facilities, tankers or other energy infrastructure could cause pollution that crosses borders, with particularly grave consequences in the already pressured marine environment and the confined Strait of Hormuz. It proposes joint environmental response arrangements and plans to protect critical infrastructure as practical ways to improve resilience. Such cooperation, the article cautions, need not require Gulf countries to abandon national priorities or settle every disagreement. Rather, it should build on longstanding social ties and acknowledge that economic interdependence creates both shared prosperity and a need for common responses to threats. The editorial concludes that ideological actors’ attacks may ultimately encourage Arab neighbours to align their approaches to regional challenges.

The report says Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo waved a scarf bearing the Saudi flag after Al Nassr won an AFC Champions League match. The match had been delayed following a missile alert in Riyadh. The article links the alert to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi fighters, stating that they have targeted the Saudi capital and hit the international airport. It does not provide further details about the timing or nature of the airport strike, the missile alert, or any damage or injuries. Nor does it identify the opponent, give the match score, or explain how long play was delayed. The report’s focus is the contrast between the interruption caused by a security alert and Ronaldo’s post-match gesture with the Saudi-flag scarf. The provided text presents these points briefly and factually; it offers no direct comment from Ronaldo, Al Nassr, officials, or the Houthis, and does not describe the broader security situation. The event is dated 13 October 2026, according to the publication information included with the article. Overall, the report conveys that a football match in Riyadh was affected by a missile alert amid Houthi attacks, and that Ronaldo displayed a Saudi national symbol after his team’s victory.