Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis say they have launched attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities as clashes intensify. The group named airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran, an air base in Khamis Mushait, and oil sites including an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh refinery. The Saudi-led coalition said its forces responded to falling debris near oil sites but did not directly address the claims. Separately, Yemen's Saudi-backed government said Houthi missiles struck coast guard sites in Aden. The renewed fighting has broken a 2022 UN-brokered truce.
The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia as the kingdom faces sustained deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis. State department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the safety of department personnel remains the highest priority. A diplomatic source told AFP that some families were also being withdrawn from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain, but Pigott said Thursday's order applied only to Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said one person was killed and others were hurt in drone-related incidents this week, while a diplomatic source reported the withdrawals elsewhere.
Yemen's Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace complex in the southern city of Aden, killing five people, the government says. Yemen's health minister said 16 people were wounded. The prime minister and cabinet members were safe, Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said. The Houthis said they had bombed what they called a Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden. The Houthi-run SABA news agency said the site held weapons depots. Reuters could not independently verify these claims.
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Houthi rebels have launched deadly attacks on Saudi Arabian airports, including a strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that killed 13 people and injured more than 300. The Houthis have warned that worse attacks are to come. The Iranian-backed group has also announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Experts say the attacks have exposed gaps in Saudi air defences, with reports suggesting the country is running low on interceptor missiles. Analysts say any negotiated end to the conflict will be difficult, as the Houthis currently hold the upper hand.
Houthi-run media say a Saudi-led coalition has attacked a fuel depot in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have vowed to strike Saudi airports and oil refineries in response. The oil company said its storage tanks were empty, and it was not immediately clear which facilities were hit. The attacks follow a missile and drone strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday that killed at least 13 people. US President Donald Trump has accused the Houthis of trying to raise oil prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport will stay closed until October 17 after a weekend missile and drone attack killed 14 people and injured about 320. Saudi officials are investigating why air defences failed to intercept the barrage. Yemen's Houthis say they have launched further attacks on Riyadh airport and an air base in Khamis Mushait. Saudi officials want the United States to become more directly involved, while Donald Trump says he is considering US strikes against the Houthis. An Emirati diplomat has called for joint Gulf action against attacks by Iran and its allies.
The Australian embassy in Riyadh has ordered people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel as Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis continue to exchange deadly attacks. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh closed over the weekend after an attack on the site killed 14 people and injured more than 320 others. The airport closure was extended on Monday, with no reopening date given. Businesses in Riyadh have told staff to work remotely, and schools have been asked to move to online classes. Iran has repeated its offer to help settle the conflict through diplomacy.
At least 139 migrants have died and dozens are missing after a boat carrying 305 people capsized while sailing from Djibouti to Yemen, the International Organization for Migration says. The boat overturned near Guhere on Thursday night into Friday morning local time. More than 80 survivors, all Ethiopian nationals, have been rescued, while 84 remain missing. The International Organization for Migration says the vessel sank soon after departing, mainly because it was overcrowded. Djiboutian authorities are continuing search and rescue operations and burials.
At least 12 people have died and more than 300 have been wounded in the third attack this week on Riyadh's international airport. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike. Operations at King Khalid International Airport have been suspended, and at least 225 flights were cancelled over 24 hours. Separately, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas postponed legislative elections due next month until September 11, 2027, citing Israeli measures.
