October 6: Saudi Arabia said attacks on two airports near its border with Yemen on Monday left three people with minor injuries, as Yemen’s Houthis claimed a wider wave of strikes that reached Riyadh. “The attacks resulted in three minor injuries and material damage,” the kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said, as quoted by Al Jazeera. In Tehran, President Masoud Pezeshkian said negotiations with the United States were “meaningless”.
Key highlights
- Confirmed by Riyadh: Attacks on Jazan and Najran airports, three minor injuries, material damage.
- Claimed by the Houthis: Strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Aramco refinery at Rabigh and sites in the south. Riyadh has not confirmed these.
- In Yemen: The government says it has carried out more than 1,000 strikes. The Houthis say they have lost no ground.
- Iran: Pezeshkian says the US is seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic and that talks are pointless.
- Allies: Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to send forces to Saudi Arabia.
What happened at the airports
Al Jazeera reported that the airports hit were Jazan and Najran, both close to the Yemeni border. CBS News said the strikes came on Monday evening and named the first as King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz airport, which is Jazan’s airport, and the second as Najran airport. The reports do not say what weapons hit the two airports.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed strikes with drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the Aramco refinery at Rabigh and military sites in the south, The New Arab reported. CBS News added Abha airport to the list of claimed targets. Al Jazeera said there was no confirmation from Riyadh of the wider claims. The New Arab reported that explosions were heard in Riyadh late on Monday.
The fighting in Yemen
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government says its forces have carried out more than 1,000 strikes on Houthi targets since it announced a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa, and the Saudi-led coalition says 100 warplanes are flying in support, The New Arab reported. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said weapons depots and booby-trapped boats had been destroyed in Hodeida.
The Houthis reject the government’s account of its gains. “What the enemy is promoting is imaginary heroism to satisfy its masters,” Saree said, according to CBS News, adding that the group kept “full control over all their gains on the ground”. Fuad Sinan, a Houthi deputy governor, disputed the government’s claim to the port city of Mocha: “We are currently roaming around in the streets of Mocha city,” he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said a female student was killed in an air strike in Bani Hashish, near Sanaa, The New Arab reported. None of the battlefield claims has been independently verified. Our earlier report on the offensive is here: Yemen’s government claims Dhubab and positions near Bab al-Mandeb.
What Iran is saying
“So far, they have attacked us three times after talks, and this shows that they are not seeking dialogue; rather, their goal is to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Pezeshkian said, as quoted by The New Arab. He said “negotiations are meaningless” with an adversary that uses “assassination, sanctions, pressure and threats”.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned: “If our enemies again choose military confrontation, our response will be stronger than before,” CBS News reported.
The wider picture
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern at the “sharp escalation” in Yemen, according to The New Arab. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye agreed in Riyadh on Monday to activate their defence pact, as we reported this morning: Pakistan and Türkiye to send forces to Saudi Arabia.
Oil markets were calmer than the fighting. Brent crude fell below $100 a barrel on Tuesday, CBS News reported. The same report said a tanker turned back in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after a threat from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
What to watch
- Whether Riyadh confirms or denies the claimed strikes on its capital’s airport and the Rabigh refinery.
- When Pakistani and Turkish forces arrive in the kingdom, and in what numbers.
- Whether any independent source confirms who holds Mocha and Dhubab.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Saudi Arabia says three people wounded in attacks on southern airports
- The New Arab: Yemen army begins Sanaa offensive; Iran warns against “new war”
- CBS News: Iran-backed Houthis deny losing ground in Yemen as oil prices ease despite fierce fighting (live updates)
The International Desk covers world and Asian affairs, diplomacy and conflict, with a focus on what they mean for India. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
