Passenger terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh came under fire as Iran-backed Houthi militants launched a second missile attack – travel warnings have been issued
Missile strikes on Saudi Arabia’s main airport have caused travel disruption further afield(Image: Harun-Or-Rashid/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
Saudi Arabia’s biggest airport was attacked for the second time in 24 hours on Sunday – after a devastating missile strike killed 12 and injured more than 300 the day before.
The UK has criticised a “dangerous escalation” by Iranian-backed Houthi militants, who issued a warning against using Saudi airports or airspace. US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing up whether American forces should join Saudi strikes against the rebels.
Passenger terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were targeted by missiles in Saturday’s carnage, which was branded appalling by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. On Sunday the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said the airport has been struck again.
It follows a string of attacks in recent weeks by the Houthis, who have seized key islands and ports along crucial Red Sea shipping routes and targeted Saudi energy infrastructure, causing chaos on world markets.
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On Sunday Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK would continue to support Saudi Arabia – but said it is not currently considering joining military offences.
Mr Streeting said strikes on civilians “can’t possibly be justified in any circumstances”. But asked if Britain intends to get involved in offensive operations against the terror group, he said: “That’s not what we’re looking at at this stage, and we’ve always been clear that there isn’t a military solution to this conflict. We need to see a diplomatic solution, and Saudi needs to do that from a position of strength.”
On Sunday the Foreign Office advised against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, including anywhere within 10km of the border with Yemen. It also urged people to avoid non-essential travel to Aseer province, Riyadh province, Najran province, Jizan province and Taif city and Taif International Airport.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he was appalled by the airport attack. Meanwhile the Houthis issued a warning against using Saudi airports and airspace in a hint of further attacks to come.
Saudi authorities said those killed in Saturday’s airport attack included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshi nationals, a Palestinian, a U.S. citizen, an Egyptian, a Jordanian, a Syrian and a Sudanese. It said the injured were being treated at several hospitals.
Asked if the US would commit forces to support Saudi Arabia following Saturday’s attack, Trump told reporters outside the White House: “We may. We’re going to look at it.”
The unpredictable US commander-in-chief went on: “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
Last month Andy Burnham agreed to give military support to Saudi Arabia in the form of “defensive” air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets.
Mr Streeting told Sky News of the strikes: “This is completely contemptible action and it’s one of the reasons why the UK is providing support to Saudi Arabia in the form of air defences, but also air-to-air refuelling.
“We want to see an end to this conflict. It cannot be right that the Houthis are attacking civilian targets in this way.”
He said: “Even in the context of Houthi attacks and an escalation, what we saw in terms of the attack on the airport in Riyadh was a shocking escalation. Hundreds of casualties, and an attack on a civilian target that can’t be possibly justified in any circumstances.”
Mr Miliband said: “I am appalled by the latest attack on King Khalid International Airport, my thoughts are with those families who have lost loved ones, and those injured in this horrific attack. We stand in solidarity with those affected.”
The Houthis are a militant group with around 20,000 fighters forming part of Iran’s so-called ‘axis of resistance’ – a coalition of forces operating across .
They sparked a devastating civil war by launching a coup in 2014 and remain in a brutal conflict with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. The Houthis have been targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea since the October 7 attack in 2023.
Last month militants seized two strategic islands in the region – Greater and Lesser Hanish, having previously taken control of the port of Mokha and Perim Island.
These are on key shipping routes connecting the Red Sea to the open ocean, crucial for transporting oil and gas. They have also been targeted facilities run by Saudi state-run energy firm Aramco.
The heightened tensions have caused oil prices to soar – between June and September this year the global oil price rose from £52 to over £80.
Escalating conflict between the Houthis – who represent the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam – and Yemen’s government has led to the displacement of around 100,000 people in recent months.
