Houthi missile attack targets Saudi capital Riyadh for third day in a row

What the report says

Yemen’s Houthi movement said it launched another attack aimed at Riyadh, the Saudi capital, late Monday, while Saudi officials said air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. The report from Al Jazeera said the strike came after two days of earlier Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport, which Saudi authorities said killed 14 people and injured hundreds in total.

According to the article, Saudi military spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the incoming missile was shot down, though he did not identify the intended target. Residents in Riyadh reported hearing several large explosions and receiving a warning message on their phones about an aerial threat. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree also said the group hit Khamis Mushait airbase near the Yemeni border with a drone, an operation Saudi officials said was repelled.

The escalation forced Saudi authorities to extend the closure of Riyadh’s international airport until Saturday, with airlines canceling flights. Al Jazeera said the airport had already been shut after the weekend attack that caused the deadliest toll in the kingdom in more than a decade. The report added that Saudi Arabia has opened an investigation into how its defenses missed earlier drones and missiles, underscoring concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.

The attacks come as Saudi Arabia tries to maintain investment momentum and diversify its economy, while the wider regional conflict continues to raise security and economic risks. Cautionary background: Houthi forces in Yemen have previously used missiles and drones against targets in Saudi Arabia, often in response to the war in Yemen.