Yemen`s Houthi forces have warned international airlines and travelers against operating in Saudi Arabian airports and sovereign airspace, declaring the territory an active zone of operations. The directive was issued Sunday following a lethal strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that claimed multiple civilian lives. However, the group explicitly stated that airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina remain exempted from any military targeting.
The confirmed death toll stands at twelve.
Saudi civil aviation officials confirmed that at least 309 individuals were injured in the strike on the capital`s primary transit hub, with emergency facilities receiving patients transported by road and air. Victims included domestic travelers and foreign nationals. Official records indicate four Saudi citizens and two Bangladeshi nationals were among the dead, alongside individuals from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Egypt.
Dozens of the wounded remain in critical medical condition.
Military spokesman Yahya Saree stated on social media that transport companies must take the warning seriously, asserting that Riyadh bears full responsibility for the fallout of failed interceptor engagements. The incident marks the third attack on King Khalid International Airport within a single week, following separate strikes that had earlier killed three personnel. Further military activity was reported in the kingdom`s Eastern Province, where coalition authorities noted a projectile falling near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam alongside an intercepted drone.
Diplomatic and military fallout deepened rapidly across Western capitals. United States President Donald Trump said Washington is actively evaluating whether to participate directly in retaliatory military operations alongside Saudi forces, calling the escalation unacceptable. Simultaneously, the United Kingdom Foreign Office updated its travel advisory, directing British nationals to avoid King Khalid International Airport and halting all non-essential travel to Riyadh, Aseer, Najran, Jizan, and Taif. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband emphasized the severity of the situation while affirming solidarity with affected civilian families.
Airport operations in Riyadh remain under strict security cordons as regional military forces maintain heightened defensive readiness.
