Middle East
Houthi strikes close Riyadh airport as Brent crude tops $106
Yemen’s Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia on three consecutive days. Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport was the deadliest, and oil rose to its highest level in nearly a month.
A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. Later reports by Reuters and Al Jazeera put the death toll at 13.
The civil aviation authority said the dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one person each from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.
The events of recent weeks are serious.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi energy minister
Another strike on Sunday killed one person and wounded 11. On Monday night, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said Saudi forces had intercepted and destroyed one missile fired at Riyadh and two fired at Khamis Mushait.
Saudi authorities said the airport would stay closed until Saturday. Etihad and Gulf Air cancelled Riyadh flights, and Delta delayed the launch of its planned Atlanta–Riyadh service. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree told international airlines to avoid all Saudi airports except those in Mecca and Medina.
Brent crude rose $1.93, or 1.8%, to settle at $106.65 a barrel on Monday, its highest since 15 September, Reuters reported. US West Texas Intermediate gained $1.89 to $93.74.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack. Donald Trump said the Houthis were “misbehaving very badly” but gave no sign of US intervention. In London, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a British Voyager aircraft sent to provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi Arabia had completed 14 operational missions.
The Houthis are fighting forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which Saudi Arabia backs with an air campaign.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Attack on Riyadh airport kills 12, injures over 300, Saudi Arabia says
- Al Jazeera: Houthi missile attack targets Saudi capital Riyadh for third day in a row
- Al Jazeera: World condemns deadly Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh airport
- Reuters via Yahoo Finance: Oil prices rise on Saudi Arabia attacks
- GOV.UK: PM statement to the House of Commons: 12 October 2026
Compiled by The Meridian News Desk from the sources listed above. Eyewitness accounts are attributed and their verification status is stated. Where sources give different figures, both are shown.
