Iran-backed Houthi rebels have not officially claimed responsibility for Saturday's missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed 12 people and wounded more than 300. The mass-casualty missile strike raises new questions about the effectiveness of Saudi Arabia's Western-supplied air and missile defenses, including potential gaps in detection, interception, and/or coverage. It also raises the risk of a wider Gulf conflict.
Al Jazeera correspondent Yousef Mawry, reporting from Sanaa, wrote early Sunday that the Saudis face a very uncomfortable reality: repeated airstrikes across Yemen have yet to eliminate the Houthis' ability to launch missiles and one-way attack drones toward the kingdom.
At least 12 killed, more than 300 hurt in Houthi attack on Riyadh airport. Saudi civil aviation authorities earlier Saturday said airport operations were suspended. Read the latest on The Times of Israel. https://t.co/CLr1yymQnN
— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) October 11, 2026
"Although Saudi Arabia has said it will retaliate, let's not forget that it's carried out many air strikes across Yemen, and the Yemeni group is still able to launch ballistic missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia," Mawry wrote.
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