The Houthis launched a direct threat against Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector, one day after the deadly attack on Riyadh International Airport, calling on airlines, employees, and travelers not to use Saudi airports or the country’s airspace.

The warning marks a new escalation in the conflict between Iran-backed Yemeni rebels and Saudi Arabia. The Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sari, stated that the kingdom’s airports and airspace are now “vulnerable to strikes” and constitute a “theater of operations” for their forces. He made an exception only for the airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

“Airport for airport, blockade for blockade, and escalation for escalation,” was the message with which the Houthi spokesperson concluded his statement, urging the public to take the warning seriously.

The strike that changed the situation

The new threat comes after the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, where 12 people were killed and 309 were injured, some seriously. Among the dead are four Saudis, two Bangladeshi nationals, and one citizen each from the U.S., Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, and Palestine. This is one of the deadliest attacks in Saudi Arabia in the past decade.

The Houthis’ Sunday statement did not include an explicit claim of responsibility for Saturday’s specific attack. The group, however, had claimed responsibility for previous attacks on the same airport earlier in the week, while Saudi authorities attribute the latest strike to Yemeni rebels.

Video reportedly from Riyadh airport today

At least 12 killed and hundreds injured in a Houthi attack https://t.co/FrLAfFfJ1A

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— War Monitor (@WarMonitor) October 11, 2026

Saturday’s attack was not an isolated incident. On October 8, the same airport had come under two attacks, in which three Saudis were killed, while one of the strikes hit a Saudia aircraft. Attacks had also been reported in the previous days at other airports, including the one in Abha.

A few hours after the deadly strike, Saudi air defense announced that it had intercepted yet another ballistic missile southeast of Riyadh, in the area where Prince Sultan Air Base is located.

MAJOR HOUTHI ATTACK SaudiArabia
A massive attack at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
13 people have been killed…
#Riyadh #Houthis https://t.co/HQvfV6edkT

— Sweta Srivastava (@swetasamadhiya) October 11, 2026

Saudi Arabia Threatens Retaliation

The Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government condemned the attack and announced it would retaliate. Lieutenant General Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesman for the coalition forces, stated that the attack on the airport’s passenger terminal on Saturday, constitutes a war crime under international humanitarian law.

“The attack on King Khalid International Airport is a terrorist act and will be met with a forceful response,” Al-Maliki said in a statement posted on Platform X and broadcast by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

He characterized the attack, which he attributed to the Houthis, as a “flagrant war crime” under international humanitarian law and its customary rules, condemning it as an act that violates fundamental principles and values.

In the same context, Yemeni government forces announced that warplanes struck Houthi positions, groups of fighters, and vehicles in the al-Makrami hills, al-Jaisa, and al-Salal east of the city of Taiz, as well as the al-Muhaf fortress and the Balan area south of Taiz.

Saudi Arabia begins retaliation for Houthi strike on Riyadh airport that killed 12 civilians

They’ve carried out at least 6 airstrikes east of Yemen’s Taiz city, targeting Houthi positions

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Something tells me this is just the beginning

Writer: Ian

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— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 11, 2026

There are also reports of seven airstrikes north of Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s “soft underbelly”

The BBC notes that the significance of the latest attacks goes beyond the immediate human and material losses. The British network’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, notes that the kingdom is facing one of the most serious threats to its internal security since the Al-Qaeda insurgencyby al-Qaeda in the mid-2000s.

The main problem for Riyadh is that the Houthis now appear to have shifted their focus to infrastructure critical to the country’s economy and international image. The capital’s largest airport, energy facilities, and air links are targets with a much greater economic and psychological impact than a purely military strike. According to the BBC’s analysis, while material damage can be repaired, Saudi Arabia’s image as a safe and stable business and tourist destination is being undermined.

The successive attacks have already caused serious disruptions to air travel. Airlines, including Kuwait Airways, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, have canceled flights to and from Riyadh, while travelers have been advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Daily Life in Riyadh Amid Fears of Interceptions

The tension has begun to directly affect daily life in the Saudi capital. Greeks living in Riyadh told protothema.gr that they are woken up almost every night by the noise of missile and drone interceptions, while many are limiting their movements.

A Greek couple living in an apartment complex in the city reported that, although they have plane tickets, they are now afraid even to go to the airport. “Things aren’t that bad yet, but I don’t see this all turning out very well,” said a Greek woman living in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities have also temporarily shifted schools in Riyadh to remote learning, while King Khalid Hospital has faced prolonged operational restrictions following the attack.

The Houthis are striking where it hurts Riyadh the most

This new phase of the conflict is linked to the resurgence of fighting in Yemen. The Houthis, who control Sana’a and a large part of the country, have intensified their attacks against Saudi Arabia following the resumption of clashes with forces of the internationally recognized government backed by Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, for its part, has intensified its airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. On Saturday, according to Yemeni media, Saudi fighter jets repeatedly struck the airport in Sana’a.

It is precisely this logic of tit-for-tat strikes that is reflected in the group’s latest warning, which appears to aim at making the cost of Saudi military action felt within the kingdom itself, particularly in infrastructure of international significance.

The air defense challenge and the possibility of U.S. involvement

Another critical issue is Saudi Arabia’s ability to counter the large number of missiles and drones. According to international reports, Riyadh has asked the U.S. and other Western allies for more interceptor missiles, as the ongoing attacks are straining available air defense stocks.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump stated that he is considering the possibility of U.S. support for Saudi operations against the Houthis, a development that could open yet another front for the U.S. in the Middle East.

International Condemnation and Fears of a Domino Effect

The attack on Riyadh sparked strong international reactions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “dangerous escalation,” warning that attacks on critical infrastructure could have repercussions for global transportation and energy supplies.

The attack was also condemned by the United Kingdom, Germany, and Iraq, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was he was “deeply shocked” and reiterated that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.

The main concern now goes beyond yet another episode in the war in Yemen. The Houthis’ threat to treat nearly all Saudi airports as potential targets brings the conflict into the heart of international air travel and one of the world’s most importanteconomies in the world.

Flight Cancellations

Meanwhile, Etihad Airways and flydubai are proceeding with new flight cancellations to Saudi Arabia, as air travel disruptions continue following the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Source: protothema.gr