Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of fuelling Houthi attacks 

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging Houthi attacks against the Kingdom, alleging that Tehran continues to provide the Yemeni group with weapons, training and other forms of support as regional tensions intensify.

Dr Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, made the allegations during a virtual briefing with reporters on Thursday. He said Iran’s alleged assistance to the Houthis violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and claimed Tehran was encouraging the group’s latest escalation.

Krimly also said Saudi Arabia had attempted to establish contact with the Houthis in recent weeks to discuss the situation. According to the Saudi official, Riyadh proposed a meeting in Muscat, Oman, but the group declined the invitation. He described the exchange as the most recent communication between the two sides, which took place several weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen accused the Houthis of attempting to strike dozens of airports, ports and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia as hostilities intensified.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the group had launched repeated attacks involving ballistic missiles and drones against Saudi targets during October. He claimed that attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had killed 17 people and injured 333 others. The coalition also reported that Houthi attacks on Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia had left three people dead and 28 injured.

The figures and allegations were presented by the coalition and could not be independently verified.

Al-Maliki said the Houthis had acquired advanced military capabilities with assistance from regional actors. He cited ballistic missiles, drones and fast boats carrying explosives among the weapons available to the group.

The spokesperson added that coalition forces had destroyed 127 weapons storage facilities and missile launch platforms in Yemen’s mountainous regions. He urged the Houthis to stop attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that the continued escalation threatened regional security.

In response, the Houthi military spokesperson renewed warnings that Saudi airspace and airports were unsafe for aviation. The group’s warning excluded airspace over the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

The latest developments come amid renewed fighting in Yemen’s long-running conflict. The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting. Although the ceasefire formally expired after six months, a de facto halt in major hostilities largely continued. However, efforts to secure a lasting political settlement have stalled.

The renewed attacks and mutual accusations have raised concerns about further escalation, particularly the potential impact on civilian infrastructure, regional stability and commercial aviation. Saudi Arabia continues to accuse Iran of supporting the Houthis, while the latest claims underscore the growing security challenges surrounding Yemen’s conflict.