Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree posted on X Sunday that the militant group would consider any use of Saudi airspace a target, except the holy airports of Mecca and Medina. The warning, aimed at airlines, shipping companies, and travellers, echoes a broader campaign to disrupt Saudi aviation after the group struck Riyadh’s international terminal.
The attack on the Riyadh airport, carried out on Sunday, killed 12 civilians and wounded more than 300, including four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Major General Turki Al‑Maliki, spokesperson for Saudi Arabia’s coalition, called the strike a war crime and said the Joint Forces Command would respond in line with international humanitarian law. Locally, a pilgrim from Jeddah who was supposed to travel to Mecca learned the news while waiting at the airport, his family already packed for the Hajj.
President Donald Trump hinted that the United States might join Saudi strikes against the Houthis, saying the administration would review the situation before deciding. Ahead of a planned coalition airstrike, Riyadh has intensified its operations in Yemen, targeting Houthi positions along the Red Sea coast.