Houthis Escalate Saudi Strikes, Briefly Disrupt Riyadh Air Traffic, Hit Bases Near Border

Wednesday has witnessed more direct attacks on Saudi territory launched by Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, coming soon after Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia announced they have triggered the Mecca Defense Pact.Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree announced the fresh launch of ballistic missiles and drones targeting King Khalid International Airport in the capital of Riyadh; however, there's as yet no evidence of any impact. The airport has suffered hits earlier in the conflict, or at least fuel storage tanks near it, also as Aramco sites have come under frequent attack.King Khalid International Airport. Source: ShutterstockAviation tracking platform Flightradar24 indicated a brief halt to both inbound and outbound flights at the airport in the capital. Riyadh has already been targeted several times in a matter of weeks.Saree further said Abha airport has been targeted again, after it also came under attack the day prior. The Houthis additionally said they hit an air base in the city of Khamis Mushait and two military bases, Najran and Asir - both near the border with Yemen.The Saudi side has only offered confirmation that it has tracked and intercepted a ballistic missile north of Riyadh. A missile on the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait was also reportedly stopped by air defenses.To review of Tuesday's events, confirmation of destruction at least two Saudi airports has emerged, as The Wall Street Journal reports:Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels damaged two airports in southern Saudi Arabia near the border with the war-torn nation, the kingdom said Tuesday, marking the latest escalation in fighting that threatens global energy markets.The attacks come after the kingdom and its allies in Yemen launched a counteroffensive seeking to retake territory along the Red Sea. The Houthis’ presence along the coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait threatens to further squeeze regional oil supplies.Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport, a dual-use airport in the Red Sea city of Jazan, and Najran International Airport, were damaged in the strikes. Three people were wounded, the agency said.Meanwhile, inside Yemen Saudi coalition forces continue to try and take back control of the Red Sea coast areas, with conflicting reports centered on who has control of the strategic port city of Mocha.The fighting continues to take a huge toll on the civilian population, with the International Organization for Migration saying that over 201,000 people have been displaced since the renewal of fighting. In mid-September the same agency's tally was at 76,000 - suggesting a significant and rapid increase in displacement."People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go," agency chief Amy Pope stated. "They need a roof, food and safety today. Our teams are on the ground, but the funding is not. I am asking donors to act now because every day of delay costs lives.”Already Yemenis were suffering from prior rounds of wars, given there's been some level of a state of conflict between the Houthis and Saudis - and the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government - going back to at least 2014.Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces staged a counter-offensive to retake the coast around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait up to the city of Mocha, the government said, pushing the Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the areas they seized last month https://t.co/Hgg3EtsaZ3 https://t.co/t9JGmyzWjE — Reuters (@Reuters) October 7, 2026More Latest Developmentsvia Newsquawk...US President Trump said they have to finish up regarding Iran and that the question is how, while he added that we will soon find out how they will finish up Iran and stated that Iran's drone-making capacity will soon be gone.US VP Vance told Reuters that Iran must make a "meaningful" reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the war. Vance added that the US remained open to an agreement but would require concrete Iranian nuclear concessions. Furthermore, the VP questioned who makes decisions in Tehran, following on from earlier comments by US President Trump saying that his biggest problem is that no one knows who is running Iran.US Secretary of State Rubio reiterated Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear program.Yemen's Houthi forces said they used drones to attack King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while they targeted Abha Airport and Khamis Mushait using missiles and drones.Satellite imagery, cited by Sabereen, confirmed that there is still a fire at Saudi's Khurais oilfield.An Asharq reporter posted that Syria may join the war in Yemen, with the idea said to be under discussion, citing multiple sources, although no final decision has been made; it follows Syria's President visiting Saudi Arabia.