Houthi missile attack targets Saudi capital Riyadh for third day in a row

By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and Reuters. Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026.

Key points

• Delta Airlines remarked on Monday that it would delay the launch of its planned nonstop Atlanta-Riyadh ‌service until March 2027 against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions.
• Saudi military spokesman Turki al-Maliki remarked air defence systems had successfully downed the incoming missile fired from Yemen, without specifying the target.
• Saudi authorities extended the closure of Riyadh's international airport until Saturday, and airlines scrapped flights against the backdrop of the continuing Houthi attacks.
• US President Donald Trump criticised the Houthis for their escalating attacks on the kingdom but halted short of indicating any US intervention in the deepening combat.
• The escalation with the Houthis has triggered concern over the broader economic impact.

After attacks by the group on King Khalid International airport killed 14 residents and injured hundreds in the previous two days, yemen's Houthis have remarked they targeted the airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, late on Monday.

For context, a number of powerful explosions rattled Riyadh on Monday night, residents noted, just moments after a text message sent to residents' mobile phones cautioned of an aerial threat.

For context, the fighting marks a serious new security challenge for the world's top oil exporter as it seeks to court investment and successfully pivot to a more diversified economy despite deepening war in the region.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree remarked the group additionally attacked Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushait airbase near the Yemeni border with a drone, an attack the Saudi military spokesman notes was repelled by air defences.

In practice, the airport has been closed since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 individuals and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. On Sunday, another attack killed one person and injured almost a dozen others. Probe into interception failures.

Saudi Arabia has introduced an investigation to determine how its air defence systems failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis, according to two regional office-holders cited by The Associated Press news agency.

According to the authorities speaking on condition of anonymity, the initial probe demonstrated that the Houthis first fired multiple drones to pave the way for a mix of cruise and ballistic missiles to reach Riyadh's King Khalid International airport.

Yemen's Houthis have ballistic missiles and advanced systems fitted with warheads that can change direction during flight and pose a challenge to Patriot interceptors and other defence systems applied by the Saudis.

One of the authorities stated the investigation additionally seeks to find out why defence systems did not provide earlier warning of the attack, in which the Houthi missiles and drones flew more than 1, 000km (620 miles) to reach Riyadh.

"Well, the Houthis are misbehaving particularly badly. No good, " Trump remarked to journalists when asked what he planned to do concerning the group.

Meanwhile, the escalation with the Houthis has triggered concern over the broader economic impact.

Saudi Arabia's real gross domestic product (GDP) is projected ⁠to contract by 3.6 percent this year against the backdrop of a range of factors, including lower oil activity.

Notably, the attacks have put events scheduled in Riyadh this month under pressure, including the kingdom's flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where a number of top oil executives were dropped from the programme.

For now, houthi missile attack targets Saudi capital Riyadh for third day in a remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.