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Saudi Arabia has warned the Houthis of a serious response after deadly attacks on Riyadh airport. The strikes have disrupted aviation and heightened concerns over energy routes and Red Sea shipping.
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud. (File Photo: Reuters)
Saudi Arabia has warned Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels that their attacks on the kingdom will invite an equally serious response, as deadly strikes on Riyadh's airport and threats to critical energy infrastructure raise concerns over the widening conflict.
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman issued the warning at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, where international energy officials and industry leaders have gathered despite the deteriorating security situation in the Saudi capital.
"The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," he told delegates. Seeking to reassure those attending the conference, the minister said Saudi Arabia remained committed to their safety but cautioned against assuming that the threat had passed.
"You know this country is safe and that we hold your protection at heart," he said, adding, "Our gathering here does not mean the risk is gone." His remarks came after a series of Houthi attacks struck Saudi Arabia, killing people and disrupting operations at King Khalid Airport, the kingdom's second-busiest airport after Jeddah.
DEADLY STRIKES DISRUPT RIYADH AIRPORT
Saudi Arabia's capital has faced two deadly attacks on its airport in as many days.
On Sunday, a Pakistani man was killed in an attack on a terminal at King Khalid Airport, Saudi authorities said. The strike followed an attack a day earlier that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, according to the information provided.
On Sunday, a Pakistani man was killed in another attack on a terminal at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport, Saudi authorities said. The strike came a day after a Houthi missile attack killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. The death toll later rose to 13 after an Indian national succumbed to his injuries, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed.
The weekend violence triggered a major aviation shutdown, leaving the skies over Riyadh largely empty as authorities extended the suspension of airport operations. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said the closure was necessary to complete procedures aimed at ensuring the safety and operational readiness of airport facilities.
The disruption was severe. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 99.7 per cent of scheduled flights at the airport were cancelled on Sunday. Flight-tracking data on Monday also showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh, although flights continued to cross Saudi airspace and land at Jeddah, a major aviation hub on the kingdom's western coast.
Airlines in Europe and Asia have suspended or extended cancellations of services to Saudi Arabia. Lufthansa Group cancelled flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM extended its suspension of services to and from the capital until the end of the month.
Etihad Airways also extended cancellations affecting flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
The US Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had also widened its warning on Saudi airspace, citing missile and drone attacks.
WHY ARE THE HOUTHIS TARGETING SAUDI ARABIA?
The Houthis have said their attacks are retaliation for what they describe as Saudi aggression against areas under their control in western Yemen.
The group has also accused Riyadh of imposing a blockade on ports and airports in Houthi-held territory. It blamed Saudi Arabia for an air strike on Sanaa airport, although Yemen's internationally recognised government claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it was intended to prevent an unauthorised Iranian aircraft from landing.
The confrontation intensified in July, when the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and began launching missile and drone attacks on airports, oil facilities and tankers. The group has maintained that it poses no threat to international shipping passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is a strategically important passage at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. However, it has threatened to continue targeting Saudi-linked vessels.
RED SEA SHIPPING CRISIS
The latest fighting has implications far beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Last month, the Houthis launched a surprise offensive along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast, pushing pro-government forces out of areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a crucial route for international trade and energy shipments.
Saudi Arabia had increasingly relied on the Red Sea to move its oil exports after the US-Israeli war with Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. The disruption at Hormuz, combined with the threat to shipping near Bab al-Mandab, has put additional pressure on alternative routes used to transport crude oil and other goods.
Any prolonged interruption to these routes could increase shipping costs, delay deliveries and add to volatility in global energy markets.
Meanwhile, Yemen's internationally recognised government announced a new offensive last week to recapture territory held by the Houthis. Pro-government forces said they had rapidly retaken areas around Bab al-Mandab with the support of intensive Saudi air strikes. The Houthis, however, denied losing territory.
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With inputs from agencies
