Houthis Say They Targeted Riyadh Airport on November 4; Associated Press Could Not Verify Claim
Key Facts
The Houthis announced on November 4 that they had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, a claim the Associated Press could not independently verify. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the Houthis had launched a missile toward the airport and that the attack caused “significant damage,” according to his description. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media did not immediately respond to the agency’s request for comment. The announcement refocuses attention on the safety of Riyadh airport following earlier reported attacks on aviation facilities in the kingdom. But the claim about the November 4 attack remains attributed to the Houthis, while the agency said it could not verify it.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation had reported that King Khalid Airport came under another attack on the afternoon of October 11, saying the attack caused injuries. The authority added that damage assessments and safety checks were under way, according to the Saudi Press Agency. This figure applies to the period Maliki specified when he made his announcement and is not an updated tally as of November 6. Maliki also said attacks on airports in the kingdom, including Abha International Airport, had caused 19 deaths and 364 injuries through October 15.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Raed Karmeli said his country believes Iran is encouraging Houthi escalation, adding: “We believe the Houthis’ escalation at this late stage of the conflict is being encouraged by Iran.” The statement reflects Saudi Arabia’s position and does not independently establish that Iran carried out attacks on the airports. Karmeli said Saudi Arabia invited the Houthis in July to a meeting in Oman to resolve differences and end the escalation, but the group declined to participate. In a broader geographic context, the agency’s report said the Houthis had seized territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an alternative shipping passage to the Strait of Hormuz. Another agency report said repeated Houthi strikes on King Khalid Airport had led to a wave of flight cancellations.
On September 23, Reuters, via Investing.com, reported a threat by Mohsen Rezaei, who said Iran would prevent airports in neighboring countries from operating if they cooperated with the United States to halt Iranian flights. The report linked the threat to U.S. pressure to stop Iranian aviation through secondary sanctions. At a three-day security forum in Manama, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said military solutions would complicate the crisis and offer no quick exits, pointing to the gap between the U.S. and Iranian positions. Gargash added: “If these positions are not bridged, we should worry about the worst,” and said the UAE and the region were preparing for the possibility of escalation. These statements and warnings remain attributed to their speakers, while the Associated Press could not independently verify the Houthis’ claim about Riyadh airport on November 4.