Riyadh Under Fire: Why the Houthis Are Targeting Saudi Arabia

On Saturday, a missile struck Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. At least 12 people were killed and more than 300 wounded, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in over a decade. It was the third attack on the same airport in one week. The dead came from many countries. They included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and people from the US, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. Airport workers and travellers from poor and middle-income countries paid the price.

Why now?

This did not start this week. In February, the US and Israel struck Iran, and the war spread across the Gulf. At first, the Houthis made supportive statements for Iran but avoided new fighting, as they wanted to end their conflict with Saudi Arabia.

The trigger came in July. An Iranian plane landed in Sanaa on 3 July, the first announced Iranian flight there in nearly ten years. Strikes then hit Sanaa airport’s runway, and the Houthis said the period of calm was over. By 13 July they were attacking Saudi Arabia again, and by 20 July they announced a blockade of Saudi ports and ships.

Their message is simple: you block our airport, we block yours. A Houthi-linked voice called it an “airport-for-airport” equation. This week they warned airlines “for the last time” about flying in Saudi airspace.

Why only Saudi Arabia?

There are three reasons.

First, the quarrel is personal. The Houthis say their fight is about Saudi pressure on Yemen. Analysts say the offensive is aimed mainly at Saudi efforts to contain the group.

Second, the Gulf has split. Saudi Arabia and the UAE started the Yemen war as partners, but the UAE pulled out its remaining forces in January 2026. Analysts argue this removed a network that had held the Houthis back. Riyadh now stands more alone.

Third, geography gives the Houthis leverage. After Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia relied on Red Sea routes to export much of its oil. The Houthis sit beside that route. In September they took Yemen’s Red Sea coast and Mokha, near the Bab al-Mandab strait.

This does not mean other countries are safe. In 2022 the Houthis hit Abu Dhabi, and Iran has fired at several Gulf states this year.

What is Iran’s role?

Iran is the Houthis’ main backer. Analysts say Iran gave them missiles, drones, training and money. Reuters quoted Yemeni military sources who said a senior Revolutionary Guards commander directed the campaign. Iran has long denied controlling the Houthis, and the Houthis say they are not Iranian puppets.

For Tehran, the Houthis are a cheap way to pressure the US and its Gulf partners. Their usefulness to Iran’s war effort, along with their deep beliefs, will make any settlement harder.

What is the US saying?

Washington is angry, but it has not yet entered the fight. President Trump called the attack “terrible” and said the US is evaluating whether to join Saudi strikes on the Houthis. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an American was among the dead. US help so far includes intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for the latest offensive.

America’s own weapons are stretched. Saudi officials say the kingdom is running low on interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defence help. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have also activated a joint defence pact.

What it means for India

This is not a distant story for us. Millions of Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, and their remittances support homes in Kerala, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and beyond. India’s foreign ministry called the Riyadh attack “dastardly” and demanded that attacks on civilians stop. India also buys most of its oil from the Gulf. If Red Sea and Hormuz routes stay under threat, Indian fuel prices, shipping costs and inflation will feel it.

What to watch

Three questions matter in the coming days. Will the US join Saudi strikes? Will Iran push the Houthis further, or hold them back? And will airlines keep flying into Riyadh? Several carriers had already cancelled Riyadh and Yanbu flights this week.

Wars rarely end where they begin. A fight over one airport in Sanaa has now reached the capital of the world’s biggest oil exporter. If the world treats this as a regional quarrel, it may soon learn it was a global warning.

Airports are meant to connect people. When they become targets, the whole world has reason to worry.

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