Saudi Arabia halts Riyadh flights after deadly Houthi missile strike

Saudi Arabia has suspended all flights to and from King Khalid international airport in Riyadh until next Saturday, after a Houthi missile attack killed 13 people and injured more than 300.

Saudi state television showed CCTV footage of passengers queuing to board a plane on Saturday as the missile struck, engulfing them in smoke and falling masonry. A further round of attacks caused more damage and left one more person dead, and more missiles were fired at Saudi cities on Monday.

Stretched defences

An urgent review is under way into how Houthi missiles are repeatedly getting through Saudi Arabia's stretched air defences. Schoolchildren and some office workers were told to stay at home. The Houthis, an Iran-backed movement that controls much of northern Yemen, have also targeted the city of Khamis Mushait and King Fahd international airport in Dammam, and have vowed to attack airports across the country.

Attacks since last month have hit fuel tanks and warehouses at Riyadh airport, destroying a parked Airbus A320 and damaging at least five other aircraft. Some airlines, including Gulf Air, had already cancelled flights.

"Fear has no place"

Saudi Arabia pressed ahead with a major energy conference in Riyadh, although some senior oil executives stayed away or appeared by video. The energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said "fear has no place in the Saudi lexicon".

Amin Nasser, chief executive of the state oil company Aramco, warned: "Markets can diversify suppliers. They cannot diversify geography. When energy infrastructure in this region is targeted, the consequences reach economies everywhere."

Threats to the US

A Houthi official warned the US of a "swift and painful response" if it joined the war in Yemen, after Donald Trump said he was "going to look at" joining Saudi strikes. The Houthis also told workers to stay away from Saudi oil facilities and airports, which they called "legitimate targets".

War in Yemen

Inside Yemen, fighting continued around Taiz, the third-largest city, where the governor warned that a shortage of medicines meant emergency surgery and intensive care would soon run out. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The UN security council is expected to debate a resolution calling the Houthis a terrorist organisation.

The war in Yemen has gone on intermittently since 2014 and has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The latest escalation is part of wider conflict in the region linked to the US and Israeli war with Iran, which has driven up oil and fuel prices around the world, including in the UK.

Travel advice

British travellers to Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf are advised to check the Foreign Office's latest travel advice and to contact their airline before travelling, as flights may be cancelled or diverted at short notice.