Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia's capital, with explosions heard in Riyadh on Thursday, flights disrupted at its main airport and office workers told to stay home, as the kingdom's campaign against Houthi gains in Yemen reignites a civil war that has displaced 200,000 people.
The Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh airport and repeated a threat to force Saudi airspace to close, after the kingdom gave support to the forces of Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Flight tracker FlightRadar24 indicated numerous delayed arrivals and departures at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. Several multinational firms in the King Abdullah Financial District told staff to work from home after Thursday morning's loud booms, five people familiar with the matter said. Some diplomats said they had received warnings, and some schools in Riyadh told parents there were orders to shelter in place, though authorities did not issue a public alert. Reuters could not identify the source of the booms. The Saudi government did not respond to a request for comment.
The escalation follows Saudi authorities' announcement on Wednesday that three people had been killed this week in strikes on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest.
Yemen's long-running civil war, paused by a ceasefire in 2022, has erupted again in recent weeks. The Houthis seized stretches of the Red Sea coast last month, including along the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and have surrounded Yemen's third-largest city, Taiz, by taking territory along its main mountain road to Aden. Saudi-backed forces have launched a counterattack and taken back areas around the strait.
The Houthis, who control many of Yemen's most populous areas including the capital Sanaa, say they are responding to attacks from the Saudi-backed government, which denies the charge.
The conflict, now an overspill of the US-Iran war, threatens to draw other states into the fighting. One US and one Syrian defence official said Syria was carefully considering options for military support, including defensive aid to protect Saudi Arabia or an offensive deployment against the Houthis. A diplomat said Syria stood firmly with Saudi Arabia but that its focus was on domestic priorities such as recovery from its own civil war.
The kingdom has also pushed for support from allied nations, including Turkey and Pakistan, even if only in a logistical or defensive capacity, after agreeing the Mecca Pact with both countries this summer, committing all three to come to each other's defence.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Saudi capital is now a frontline target: missile strikes near Riyadh airport have hit civilian infrastructure, disrupted aviation and forced major employers to send staff home.
- A critical shipping route is at stake: the Houthis hold ground along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that has become ever more important for Gulf oil exports since attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The war is spreading: with Syria considering troop deployments and the Mecca Pact commitments to Turkey and Pakistan, more states could be drawn into the conflict.
Background
Yemen's civil war pits the Houthis, who control many of the country's most populous areas including the capital Sanaa, against forces of the internationally recognised government backed by Saudi Arabia. A ceasefire in 2022 largely paused the conflict until recent weeks, when the Houthis seized stretches of the Red Sea coast and Saudi-backed forces counterattacked around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The renewed fighting has deepened a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's poorest state, displacing 200,000 people since the conflict resumed. The war is now described as an overspill of the US-Iran conflict, adding to regional instability.
Key Perspectives
Houthis: They say their strikes respond to attacks from the Saudi-backed government, which denies the charge, and they have threatened to close Saudi airspace.
Saudi Arabia: The kingdom reported three deaths this week in strikes on its airports, is pushing back around Bab el-Mandeb, and is seeking defensive or logistical support from Turkey, Pakistan and potentially Syria.
Syria: Defence officials say Syria is considering defensive aid or an offensive deployment, but a diplomat stressed its focus remains on domestic recovery, suggesting any support could be limited.
Critics/Skeptics: Authorities issued no public alert and the source of Thursday's booms was not identified, leaving uncertainty about the immediate threat. The humanitarian cost is mounting, with displacement adding to a regional crisis.
What to Watch
- Whether Syria commits to defensive assistance or an offensive deployment, and what material support Turkey and Pakistan deliver under the Mecca Pact.
- Control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Houthi siege of Taiz, which will shape both shipping security and the ground war.
- Whether the Houthis follow through on their threat to close Saudi airspace, which would deepen disruption to regional aviation.