Houthis issue new threat against Saudi airspace after deadly attack on Riyadh airport

October 11, 2026 / 9:12 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Yemen's Houthis issued a new threat to Saudi Arabia's airspace on Sunday after an attack on the kingdom's international airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people, including a U.S. citizen, and wounded hundreds of others.

Saturday's strike on King Khalid International Airport, the deadliest on Saudi soil in more than a decade, marked a major escalation in the war between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and the kingdom and further complicated sputtering efforts to halt the U.S.-Iran war.

The airport remains closed on Sunday and Saudi Arabia moved Riyadh schools online amid the Houthis' latest threat. Flights were diverted elsewhere, the Flightradar24 tracker said. Countries including the U.S., Britain, Germany, Australia and Canada warned citizens to avoid the airport.

While the Houthis did not immediately claim Saturday's deadly strike, they threatened new attacks on the kingdom's airports, except for the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, warning passengers not to travel.

"The airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces," Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, wrote on X.

He urged "everyone to take our warnings seriously."

The attack on Riyadh's airport drew…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/