A Saudi minister publicly pledged on 12 October that Riyadh would deliver a ‘serious response’ to two Houthi strikes on the kingdom’s international airport within 48 hours, an escalation that killed at least 13 people and raised fresh pressure on regional energy markets and Red Sea shipping.
The Houthis struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport for the second time in less than 48 hours on October 12, prompting Saudi-led coalition air defenses to engage and a brief disruption to flight operations. Brent crude rose roughly 0.8 percent in early Asian trading as the renewed attack underscored the vulnerability of Saudi civilian infrastructure to persistent Houthi missile and drone campaigns.
Saudi Arabia accused Yemen’s Houthis on September 8 of striking multiple civilian cities and energy facilities inside Saudi territory, wounding 73 people and igniting fires at several energy sites. The Saudi government vowed to respond, marking a renewed escalation in regional tensions and raising international concerns about Middle East energy security and conflict spillover.