RIYADH/ DUBAI: Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said on Saturday it intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis towards the Makkah and Medina regions, with debris falling in several locations including Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. Houthis denied targeting the holy cities, calling the Saudi claim a "huge lie".
The United States updated travel advisories for countries across the Gulf and Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon and Israel, citing what it described as the threat of increased Iranian-supported Houthi regional aggression, according to security alerts issued by US missions.
Houthis launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia and the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government on Saturday after blaming the kingdom for strikes that the group said killed 17 people. Over the past 24 hours, the Yemeni fighters said they targeted three Saudi airports including the international airport in capital Riyadh, energy installations, a pipeline and an air base.
Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched missiles at "King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of the Saudi enemy, in two phases", the airports in Dammam in the east and Najran in the south. The group also launched attacks on the southern Khamis Mushait air base as well as "crude oil pumping stations and the crude oil pipeline from east to west".
The Houthis also fired at the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the interim seat of the Saudi-backed government, saying they targeted a naval base and military camp overseen by Saudi forces. Authorities said the coast guards headquarters and a second building of theirs as well as Aden airport had been targeted.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian blamed the United States for the failure of an interim deal with Iran, but said there should be a new attempt at concluding it. Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesman stated that armed forces were ready to respond to any new attack, warning that any enemy action would be met with a response several times greater.
Regional analysts suggest that the escalation marks a significant shift in the ongoing conflict, as the Houthis expand their operational range. The Saudi-led coalition has vowed to continue its defensive operations to protect civilian infrastructure and ensure the safety of the holy sites.
International observers are closely monitoring the situation, fearing that the increased frequency of these attacks could destabilize the broader region. Diplomatic efforts are reportedly underway to de-escalate tensions, though both sides remain entrenched in their respective positions.
The United Nations has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, urging all parties to return to the negotiating table to find a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict that has caused a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen. As of late Saturday, Saudi authorities confirmed that emergency response teams were on the ground in the affected areas to clear debris and assess any potential damage to infrastructure, while air traffic at the targeted airports was gradually returning to normal operations.