Saudi Arabia has reopened two terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for limited flights, despite ongoing threats from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claim the hub is a military target. The reopening follows a deadly Houthi-claimed assault on October 10 and continued barrages of missiles and drones.
Saudi Arabia announced the partial reopening of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, with Terminal 1 designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights by national carriers. This comes after operations were suspended on October 10 following a Houthi-claimed attack that killed 13 people, marking the deadliest assault in the kingdom in over a decade. Despite the reopening, flight tracking data showed minimal activity. The Iran-aligned Houthis continue to brand the airport a "military target" and have warned airlines, staff, and travelers against using it, claiming responsibility for recent attacks on the airport and other locations like Jazan and Khamis Mushait. Saudi Arabia reported intercepting multiple drones and ballistic missiles, with shrapnel from two intercepted missiles injuring two people and damaging property in Khamis Mushait. This renewed fighting, which has shattered a UN-brokered truce from 2022, has intensified after the Houthis seized strategic Red Sea territory, threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The conflict positions Saudi Arabia as a pressure point in the wider US-Israeli offensive against Iran.
