Saudi Arabia vows serious response following fatal Houthi airport attacks

Saudi Arabia has vowed a serious response after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement carried out deadly drone and missile attacks on the kingdom's airports and infrastructure, BBC News reported. Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh that recent events are serious and that the Saudi response must be equally serious. The Houthis stated that they launched the strikes in retaliation. [1]

The strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh forced its closure and left multiple casualties, according to BBC News, CBS News, and Al Jazeera. BBC News and CBS News both report that a missile strike on an airport terminal killed at least 13 people, while CBS News added that more than 300 people were injured. CBS News and Al Jazeera report that overall fatalities from recent attacks in the country reached between 14 and 20 people. BBC News noted that a Pakistani man was killed in a separate terminal attack, while CBS News reported that an American was among the dead. [1][2][3]

CBS News and the South China Morning Post both report that Saudi Arabia faced fresh waves of drone and cruise missile attacks on Monday, while Saudi air defenses launched an investigation into why they failed to intercept the initial barrage. Al Jazeera and the New York Post report that the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh as well as two missiles fired towards Khamis Mushait. The attacks targeted key oil and gas facilities, according to BBC News and the New York Post. [1][2][3][4][6]

Between 6 and 12 October 2026, the Houthis launched a series of ballistic missile and drone strikes on several Saudi Arabian airports, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 370 others. It is the deadliest series of attacks in Saudi Arabia since May 2015, and the deadliest attack on Persian Gulf states since the start of the 2026 Iran war. As FTMQ News reported earlier, airlines extended flight cancellations and foreign governments issued travel warnings following the initial strikes on the facilities. [13][16]

CBS News reported that United States President Donald Trump is considering joining Saudi attacks on Houthi forces in Yemen. Meanwhile, Japan has condemned the attacks on Saudi airports and urged immediate de-escalation, according to Anadolu Ajansi. [2][7]