Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways: Several airlines cancel flights to Saudi Arabia

Etihad Airways is also canceling all connections between Abu Dhabi and the Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to “regional disruptions”. All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have been canceled until October 19, the airline said.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh was again shaken by several violent explosions on Monday evening. The residents had recently been warned of an “enemy threat from the air” in a text message. Yemen's Houthi militia said it had again attacked Riyadh's international airport with a rocket. Both sides gave contradictory statements about whether the missile was intercepted or hit its target.

18 people recently died in attacks on the airport. In Saturday's attack alone, 13 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured. Two people were killed in an attack on the airport in the southern city of Abha on Tuesday.

The airport in Riyadh has been closed since the serious attack a few days ago. The aviation authority is extending the closure until Saturday, according to a statement.

Conflict escalates in the wake of the Iran War

In Yemen, the Houthis have been fighting against the internationally recognized government for years and have brought large parts of the country under their control. While the militia is supported by Iran, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia is behind the government. Most recently, the Houthis took control of large parts of the coast on the strategically and economically important Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The civil war, in which hundreds of thousands of deaths are expected as a result of the direct and indirect consequences of the war, has flared up again in the wake of the Iran War. The Houthi militia has been attacking Saudi Arabia since Saudi-backed forces launched an offensive in Yemen to retake Houthi-controlled areas. The rebels opened a new front in the Middle East conflict in July with attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and tankers in the Red Sea.

The USA - one of Saudi Arabia's most important allies - could begin new military strikes in Yemen, as in 2024 and 2025. However, the Houthi militia warned the US against interfering. In this case, the USA would have to expect a "quick and painful reaction," said Politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti to the AFP news agency. He called on all workers at Saudi Arabian oil facilities and airports to stay away from their places of work. These are “legitimate goals”.

The Houthis' attack on Riyadh airport was the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. This increases pressure on the kingdom to respond militarily, with the risk of escalation. Read more here.