In brief
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman pledged a 'serious' response to deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and oil installations. In the past week, a missile hit King Khalid International Airport, killing 13, and a Pakistani tourist was killed in another strike. The Yemen-based rebels, backed by Iran, claim retaliation for Saudi aggression, including air strikes on Sanaa. Saudi-led coalition forces have intensified air support while Yemen’s civil war escalates, affecting global oil chains.
Saudi Energy Minister Vows ‘Serious’ Response to Houthi Airport Attacks
Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman announced at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh that Saudi Arabia would respond with equal severity to the recent Houthi missile attacks on airport terminals and energy infrastructure.
On Sunday, a Pakistani tourist was killed when a Houthi missile struck a terminal at King Khalid International Airport, the capital’s main hub. The attack followed another strike that killed 13 people a day earlier, forcing the airport’s closure.
The Iran‑backed Yemeni rebels say they launched the raids in retaliation for what they describe as Saudi aggression and a blockade of Yemeni ports and airports. The Houthi health ministry reports a child was killed and six others injured in a Saudi air strike on a house in Sanaa.
Saudi Arabia’s coalition has mounted air actions against Houthi positions near the Red Sea coast. The rebels seized areas near the Bab al‑Mandab Strait last month, triggering a temporary surge in global oil prices because the kingdom had increasingly relied on the Red Sea for exports during the Gulf maritime conflict.
The Yemen war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the Sanaa government, has escalated since 2015 when the Saudi‑led coalition intervened. The current conflicts threaten regional stability and worldwide energy markets.
