Houthis ‘destroy passenger jet’ at Riyadh’s international airport as Iran-backed rebels escalate attacks on Saudi Arabia
Houthi forces escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia, claiming strikes on airports in Riyadh, Najran and Khamis Mushayt. A missile attack set fire to a Saudia passenger aircraft parked at Riyadh’s King Khalid airport, disrupting air travel and raising concerns about the safety of civilian infrastructure.
The airport said no passengers were believed to be aboard, but it could not rule out injuries. Saudi officials reported that debris from an intercepted missile hit a kindergarten and medical complex; three people have been killed in strikes this week. Nearly half of Riyadh departures had been cancelled by 3pm GMT, Lufthansa and Air India suspended flights, and some businesses and schools took precautionary measures.
- A Saudia jet was badly damaged by fire at Riyadh airport.
- Houthi forces claimed missile strikes on three Saudi locations.
- Flight cancellations and precautionary measures followed.
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The Houthis are a rebel group based in Yemen, backed by Iran, that has been in conflict with Saudi Arabia since 2015. The war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions, making it one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Saudi Arabia launched a military campaign in 2015 to support a government it backed against the Houthis. The Houthis have responded by repeatedly attacking Saudi territory with missiles and drones, targeting airports, oil facilities and civilian areas.
These attacks matter because Saudi Arabia is a major economic centre and international aviation hub in the Middle East. Strikes on civilian infrastructure affect not just Saudi citizens but also international travel and commerce throughout the region.
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The case for
Houthi supporters argue their military campaign represents legitimate resistance against years of Saudi airstrikes that have devastated Yemen and killed thousands of civilians. They contend that as a people facing a militarily superior adversary, armed strikes against military and strategic infrastructure constitute justified self-defence and a necessary means of deterrence to protect their nation's sovereignty and independence.
The case against
Critics maintain that attacking civilian airports, aircraft and populated areas violates international humanitarian law and represents an indefensible threat to innocent lives and global aviation security. They argue that such escalation is counterproductive, that Iran-backed proxy warfare destabilises the region, and that only diplomatic solutions—not attacks on civilian infrastructure—offer a legitimate path to resolving the conflict.