RIYADH/SANAA, Oct. 25 — Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Saturday that its forces carried out seven missile and drone operations against targets inside Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile and drones over the Riyadh region on Sunday in one of the sharpest exchanges in recent weeks.
The Houthis said the strikes targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran Airport, an airbase in Khamis Mushait, as well as Saudi Aramco refineries, crude pumping stations and the East-West oil pipeline. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea described the attacks as retaliation for what he said were repeated Saudi airstrikes on Yemen, which the group said had caused dozens of casualties.
The Saudi-led coalition confirmed that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh, and that air defenses had also shot down drones over the Riyadh region. Earlier coalition statements had reported interceptions in the Eastern Province and southern Saudi Arabia. There was no immediate independent confirmation of damage from the latest attacks.
King Khalid International Airport, which has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks, resumed some operations on Sunday, with domestic flights and national carrier international services running from designated terminals. The Houthis warned that the reopening did not guarantee the airport’s safety.
The escalation came as regional tensions remained high. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington could take further military action against Iran or reach a deal with Tehran, without specifying timing. His remarks added to uncertainty ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary elections, during which the Israeli military has cancelled leave and remained on heightened alert.
The Houthi attacks and Trump’s comments underscored how the wider Iran-Israel confrontation continues to spill into the Gulf, threatening energy infrastructure and keeping global markets on edge.