Saudi Arabia is a country in West Asia and the world's leading oil exporter. Known for its central role in Gulf security, OPEC leadership, and a cautious foreign policy balancing U.S. ties with regional diplomacy toward Iran. Recently, Saudi Arabia has faced sustained Houthi missile and drone attacks on oil infrastructure while forging a trilateral defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan. Last updated 5 days ago
The Houthis claim their forces repelled a second advance within hours by Saudi-backed units moving from Hajj toward Bab al-Mandab, saying more than 22 armored vehicles were destroyed and dozens killed or wounded, including several commanders.
They also claim more than 30 ambulances arrived in Aden carrying the dead and wounded.
Riyadh will refuse any truce with the Houthis until the Saudi-backed Yemeni government recovers every area lost over the past weeks, a regional source told AFP. The same source said Saudi Arabia will not yield to Houthi "military blackmail."
Capt. Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami, a pilot for Saudi national carrier Saudia, was one of three Saudis killed overnight when the Houthis hit Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport twice. Saudia: one of its aircraft was damaged on the ground, with no passengers on board.
U.S. Mission Saudi Arabia security alert: attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Americans told to stay vigilant and expect flight cancellations and airspace closures.
U.S. government employees now need special authorization to use the airport.
Houthis warn staff at all Saudi oil facilities to stay clear of sites they consider targets, previously hit or not. Earlier warnings to airports, airlines and travelers were renewed.
Engineers, workers and other personnel have been told by Yemen's Houthis to stay away from Saudi oil facilities the group considers potential targets, among them sites struck in earlier attacks. The group also renewed its warnings to airlines, airports, passengers and airport staff.
Syria is weighing military assistance to Saudi Arabia in its fight against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, U.S. and Syrian officials said.
Options under review include defensive support against missile and drone attacks, or deploying Syrian forces alongside Saudi-backed Yemeni troops. Damascus says its priority remains domestic recovery.
Three people were killed and 36 wounded in Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports over the past 48 hours, the Saudi civil aviation authority said. The airports hit were Abha International in the southwest and King Khalid International in Riyadh.
Air defense systems, pilots, aircraft and combat troops are being prepared by Turkey for deployment to Saudi Arabia, tasked with protecting Riyadh, the holy cities and energy infrastructure. Ankara wants no direct involvement in Yemen.
A Turkish official: technical teams, air defense and electronic warfare systems were already sent last year. A limited special forces element follows parliamentary approval at the end of the month.
Turkish troops, aircraft, and air defense systems are heading to Saudi Arabia to counter Houthi attacks, Turkish officials told Middle East Eye. The deployment falls under the Mecca defense pact with Riyadh and Islamabad, now activated.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claims Houthi forces blocked several Saudi attempts to advance toward Bab al-Mandab, forcing a retreat. He says ten ballistic missiles were fired at the Saudi troops, killing and wounding dozens.
Turkey is reportedly preparing to deploy troops, air defence systems, pilots, and aircraft to Saudi Arabia, with the main mission being defending critical infrastructure and the Holy cities.
A direct intervention against Yemen is being excluded as of now.
Two Saudi airports were attacked by the Houthis overnight, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said. Three people sustained minor injuries at King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport, with limited material damage at both sites.
Pakistan's Ministry of Information: the Reuters report claiming 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops were sent to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is "invented" and built on unnamed sources.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claims ballistic missiles hit Saudi troop concentrations at the Da'arir camp in Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, leaving dozens dead and wounded. He also claims a ballistic missile struck Abha International Airport in the southwest, disrupting flights there. The Houthis warned international airlines to stop operating in Saudi airspace, excluding the airspace over Mecca and Medina.
