Airport in Saudi Arabia remains closed after attack kills 12; Houthis make more threats

Yemen's Houthis issued a new threat to Saudi Arabia's airspace this Sunday (11), following an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people and injured at least 309 people the day before.

The episode was the deadliest of its kind in more than a decade and occurs in a context of intensifying clashes between the Houthis, a group supported by Iran, and Yemeni government forces, which have Saudi support.

"We reiterate our warning to all airlines, experts, employees, workers and passengers not to use Saudi airports and airspace, as they are vulnerable to attacks and have become a theater of operations for our forces," the Houthis wrote in a post on the X social network.

The group made an exception for the airports of Mecca and Medina, holy cities in Islam. "We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously. Saudi Arabia will be responsible for any failures in interceptions."

Saturday's attack, the third against King Khalid International Airport in a week, led to the temporary suspension of operations there.

The 12 people killed in the offensive were of different nationalities, according to local authorities: four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and citizens of the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority reported that airport operations were temporarily suspended to assess damage and safety conditions. There was no announced forecast for the resumption of flights.

The two previous attacks on Riyadh's international airport earlier this week killed four people and caused significant damage to a parked Saudi commercial plane.

The actions were taken after Saudi Arabia expanded, in recent weeks, its military participation in Yemen, with attacks against the Houthis and support for a counteroffensive by government forces. The escalation came after the group last month took control of strategic areas along the Red Sea coast.

Yemen's Foreign Ministry, controlled by the Houthis, said on Sunday that new Saudi military operations in Yemeni territory would provoke a more forceful response. According to the ministry, the group's actions will be guided by the principle of reciprocity.

"Unless the Saudi enemy ceases its aggression and interference in Yemen, the worst is yet to come, God willing," the ministry wrote in a statement broadcast on Al Masirah broadcaster, linked to the Houthis.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump said that Washington is considering joining Saudi attacks against the Houthis. The possibility represents a new front in the conflict, amid the broader war against Iran, launched by the United States and Israel in February.

"What happened in Saudi Arabia is unacceptable," Trump said.

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia also reported that a projectile fell near King Fahd International Airport, in Dammam, in the country's Eastern Province, on Saturday. This Sunday, the military alliance claimed to have intercepted a drone in the same region.