Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that the events that occurred in the past few weeks were severe, and that the Kingdom’s response must be equally severe, while Iran shows its willingness to mediate between Riyadh and the Ansar Allah group in Yemen.
The Saudi government news channel reported on Monday that the coalition led by Riyadh in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government is dealing with a “threat” with drones and missiles, without specifying the destination of the attack in Saudi Arabia.
The channel posted on social media platforms, “The Coalition: A threat with drones and cruises on the Kingdom is currently being dealt with.”
In his speech during the opening of the World Petroleum Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, son of King Salman, explained that global energy is facing a “real test,” pointing out that Saudi Arabia has developed plans to maintain energy security before crises occur.
“There cannot be an energy future for all unless energy security is achieved for all,” according to the Saudi Minister of Energy.
The Ansar Allah group in Yemen (the Houthis) announced on Monday, through its military spokesman, Yahya Saree, the implementation of four specific operations using a number of “ballistic and winged missiles and drones, targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in three stages since the evening of yesterday, which led to the disruption of navigation at the airport and its complete closure.”
The statement indicated that operations were carried out targeting Aramco's Shedqum gas station in the Eastern Province, and a factory belonging to the company in the Eastern Province as well, in addition to King Fahd Airport in Dammam.
Attacks targeted King Khalid Airport on Saturday and Sunday, and the attack that occurred on Saturday resulted in the death of 13 people and the injury of more than 300 others.
Iran, which supports the Ansar Allah group in Yemen, expressed on Monday its “deep concern” after strikes launched by the group on targets in Saudi Arabia.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told reporters, “We are deeply concerned about developments in the situation in the Arabian Peninsula,” stressing Tehran’s readiness to “facilitate dialogue between the parties” to the conflict.
Before that, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on the Telegram application that he informed his Saudi counterpart that Tehran is ready to help mediate the dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia announced on Monday the extension of the suspension of operations at Riyadh Airport, which in recent days was subjected to bloody attacks carried out by the Houthis, without specifying a date for its resumption, while an informed source told Agence France-Presse that the airport will suspend its operations until at least Thursday.
The attacks caused widespread disruption in the Saudi civil aviation sector, amid the repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East, which prompted European and Asian airlines to suspend their flights, as the Lufthansa Group canceled its flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM extended the suspension of its flights to and from the Saudi capital until the end of the month.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways was among the airlines that extended the suspension of its flights to Saudi Arabia, affecting about 20 flights heading to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.
The US Federal Aviation Administration also asked US airlines on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing security threats related to ongoing military activities and interference in navigation systems.
The FAA notice, which is in effect until December 10, comes in the wake of the attacks that targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday and Sunday.
The administration said: “These threats may pose a potential danger to aircraft at all altitudes, including while flying over Saudi airspace, and during the arrival and departure stages,” warning of “a potentially dangerous situation.”
The Notice also applies to operators of aircraft registered in the United States.
The American company Delta Airlines is scheduled to begin direct flights to Riyadh from Atlanta on October 23.
Advisor to the Emirati President, Anwar Gargash, on Monday called on the Arab Gulf states to strengthen their collective security system, after Saudi Arabia was exposed to continuous attacks launched by the Ansar Allah group in Yemen.
Gargash wrote on the
He stressed "the necessity of reviving joint Gulf action, especially in its security and defense aspects, and strengthening the collective security system. This is the dimension that witnessed a gross failure that encouraged others to attack us," adding that "Gulf security is a shared responsibility that cannot tolerate complacency or postponement."
The UAE, which in recent months has shown a difference in views with Saudi Arabia regarding foreign policy, especially regarding the Yemeni conflict, expressed its “full” solidarity with the Kingdom following the unprecedented attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday.
In Yemen, battles and military operations have continued since the renewed escalation last July, and in September the Ansar Allah group expanded its areas of control at the expense of the government, to include the entire western coast overlooking the Red Sea, including the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which prompted government forces to launch a counterattack.
The group reported on Sunday that two Saudi raids targeted Sanaa Governorate, which has been controlled by the Houthis since 2014.
Through a series of attacks they carried out last night, Ansar Allah fighters were able to close all exits to Taiz in southwestern Yemen, tightening the noose around the city, which is still under the control of government forces, according to what military sources on both sides reported.
During the past few days, the Iranian-backed group took control of parts of southern Taiz, the third largest city in Yemen, after cutting off the road linking it to Aden, where the temporary headquarters of the internationally recognized government supported by Saudi Arabia is located.
