The leader of Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis has warned Saudi Arabia to prepare for a prolonged conflict as the group steps up attacks on the kingdom, targeting the country’s airports and military facilities for the third day in a row.
The group announced Thursday that it carried out a new wave of attacks targeting two civilian airports, Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Najran Airport near the Saudi-Yemenese southern border, as well as the Saudi Air Force King Khalid Air Base.
It said the attack involved cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, causing damage and disrupting air traffic.
Images posted on X and verified by CNN showed smoke billowing over Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport and what appeared to be a damaged Saudi plane, while the Associated Press, citing witnesses, said several explosions were heard in Riyadh, including the airport.
Saudi authorities have not commented directly on whether the airport was attacked, but on Thursday they said they intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh, and that falling debris damaged a kindergarten and a clinic.
The US mission to Saudi Arabia said it was “aware” of the attack targeting Riyadh’s airport, pointing to past attacks on the country’s civilian airports, warning that the conflict “could escalate” and warning Americans to be vigilant.
Warning of possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions, U.S. officials said “special permission” is now required to use the airport and travel within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the Yemeni border remains prohibited.
The news comes after Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport near the Yemeni border left three people dead and 36 injured over the past two days.
In a televised address on Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi vowed to continue attacking Saudi targets and confronting Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
He warned Saudi Arabia not to continue military operations in Yemen, saying the group had the military capacity and determination to withstand a prolonged conflict.
“No matter how long the war lasts, the Yemeni people today have every element of determination and strength,” al-Houthi said.
The Iranian-backed Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, has been at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
The conflict escalated in July after the collapse of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with the Houthis ramping up missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities, airports and shipping lanes. Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes and support for Yemeni government forces.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have threatened to expand their attacks into Saudi Arabia. In a statement Thursday, they warned employees, technicians and workers at Saudi oil facilities to avoid areas that could be targets of future attacks.
The group also reiterated previous warnings to airlines, airport operators, travelers and employees of Saudi airports and facilities.
“The longer our enemy Saudi Arabia continues its invasion and blockade, the more its losses will increase,” al-Houthi said.
The latest escalation comes as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces continue Operation Dawn of Yemen, a major offensive aimed at reversing recent Houthi gains in Yemen.
In recent weeks, fighting has intensified along Yemen’s west coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Yemeni government forces claim to have retaken several positions near Bab al-Mandeb, Moka and Dubab, but the Houthis dispute that claim.
On Thursday, Yemen’s internationally recognized government claimed that its forces carried out 1,729 precision strikes against Houthi targets during the offensive, killing 1,370 fighters and destroying or disabling 300 vehicles and other military assets. On the same day, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of escalating its air campaign, claiming that Saudi military aircraft had carried out 59 airstrikes and missile attacks in Sanaa and several Yemeni provinces in the past 24 hours, causing casualties among civilians.
CNN cannot independently verify either claim.
However, the Houthis denied reports of major battlefield losses and accused regional media of exaggerating advances by Saudi-backed forces.
Earlier this week, a Houthi missile landed near Aden International Airport, Yemen’s internationally recognized government’s main airport, forcing the diversion of a commercial flight from Cairo, Yemeni officials said.
The Saudi-led coalition announced late Wednesday that it had launched a major operation to counter the attack, attacking 82 Houthi military targets in Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib provinces. The targets included missile storage facilities, command centers, communications facilities and weapons storage facilities, the coalition said.
