Houthi Missile Attack Targets Riyadh for Third Consecutive Day

Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at Riyadh, as the Houthis claim they targeted the airport.

Yemen's Houthis said they targeted the airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, late Monday after the group's attacks on King Khalid International Airport in the past two days.

Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman of Saudi Arabia's army, said without specifying the target: "Air defense systems have successfully shot down a missile fired from Yemen."

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List 2 of 4 Why do the Houthis attack Saudi airports?

List 3 of 4 Giant Brigade Leads South Yemen's War Against Houthis

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At the end of the list, several powerful explosions rocked Riyadh on Monday night, just moments after a text message was sent to residents' cellphones about the aerial threat.

The war represents a serious new security challenge for the world's largest oil exporter as it seeks to invest and successfully pivot to a more diversified economy despite deepening war in the region.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group also attacked Saudi Arabia's Khamis Mushit airbase near the border with Yemen with a drone, an attack the Saudi military spokesman said was repulsed by air defenses.

Saudi authorities extended the closure of Riyadh International Airport until Saturday and airlines canceled flights amid the Houthi attacks.

The airport has been closed since Saturday's attack, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. On Sunday, another attack resulted in the death of one person and the wounding of nearly a dozen others.

According to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, an initial investigation showed that the Houthis first shot down several drones to pave the way for a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles to reach Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.

Yemen's Houthis have ballistic missiles and advanced systems equipped with warheads that can change direction during flight and challenge Patriot interceptors and other defense systems used by the Saudis.

The investigation will also seek to find out why defense systems did not provide early warning of the attack, in which Houthi missiles and drones flew more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) to reach Riyadh, the official said.

US President Donald Trump has criticized the Houthis for escalating their attacks on the kingdom, but has declined to indicate any US intervention in the deep fighting.

"Well, the Houthis are behaving very badly. It's not good," Trump told reporters when asked what he planned to do about the group.

Escalating tensions with the Houthis have raised concerns about the wider economic impact.

Saudi Arabia's real GDP is expected to contract by 3.6 percent this year due to a range of factors, including lower oil activity.

The attacks put pressure on events scheduled in Riyadh this month, including the kingdom's landmark investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where several top oil executives were pulled from the program.

Delta Air Lines announced on Monday that it is delaying the launch of its planned Atlanta-Riyadh nonstop service until March 2027 amid continued geopolitical tensions.