Saudi Arabia’s front door is bolted shut. The kingdom extended its suspension of all flights in and out of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Monday after a fresh round of Houthi missiles caused more damage and left one more person dead, The Guardian reported.
That came on top of Saturday’s strike, when Houthi missiles killed 13 people and injured more than 300. Saudi state TV aired CCTV of passengers swallowed by smoke and falling masonry as they queued to board a plane.
The aviation authority says the airport stays closed until its safety is verified, and the military says more missile and drone threats have been detected. Schoolchildren and some office workers were told to stay home. The Houthis have also gone after Khamis Mushait and Dammam’s King Fahd airport, and they’ve vowed to hit Saudi airports across the country.
Meanwhile Riyadh kept its big energy conference running anyway. Energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman told the room that “fear has no place in the Saudi lexicon.” An urgent review is under way into how the missiles keep getting through.
NPR calls it the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab state since the Iran war began, and it’s raising fresh worries that the U.S. gets pulled directly into another regional fight. The UN Security Council is expected to debate a resolution Tuesday branding the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation.
Sources: The Guardian — Saudi Arabia further suspends flights after latest deadly Houthi attack on airport (Oct. 12, 2026) · NPR — Deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia raise stakes for US (Oct. 12, 2026)
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration by Bugle Blast.
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