Missile Alert Interrupts Saudi Minister's Speech (Video)

A speech by Saudi Minister Ahmed bin Suleiman Al-Rajhi was cut short by emergency alerts amid escalating Houthi attacks. Read the full story on RT.com.

A missile warning interrupted Saudi Arabia's minister Ahmed bin Suleiman al-Rajhi as he addressed an economic forum in Riyadh on Monday, amid intensifying Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

The incident occurred at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center when the minister's and the audience's phones were simultaneously alerted.

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Al Raji briefly acknowledged the warnings before continuing his remarks.

Addressing the audience, he said: "We are under the protection of the Lord of the worlds, God willing, God will turn back their makr."

The break comes after two consecutive Houthi attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport over the weekend killed more than a dozen people, including several foreign nationals.

According to Al Jazeera, residents reported hearing several strong explosions in the Saudi capital on Monday night. Saudi Arabia's military announced that the country's air defense destroyed at least one Houthi ballistic missile that targeted Riyadh, along with two other projectiles towards the city of Khamis Mushit in the southwest of the country.

Saudi Arabia's aviation authority announced Monday that Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until October 17 following the deadly attacks.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack. In an exclusive interview with RT for this group, the spokesman, Mohammad Al-Bakhiti, described the attack as revenge for years of bombing Yemen's civilian infrastructure by Saudi Arabia.

He warned that the Houthis will continue to target Saudi military facilities and critical infrastructure until Riyadh ends its involvement in Yemen, lifts its blockade, and agrees to a "comprehensive and permanent peace."

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015, leading a military coalition of the internationally recognized government against the Houthis.

Widespread fighting subsided after a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but flared up again in July after Saudi-backed Yemeni forces attacked Sanaa's airport, which was held by the Houthis.

Last month, the Houthis captured large parts of Yemen's Red Sea coast and areas around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, including the port of Moka.

Saudi-backed government forces have since launched a counterattack, claiming to have retaken key positions near the vital shipping lane that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Riyadh has increased its air support for offensive attacks and has intensified attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in recent days. According to the group, Saudi Arabia's bombings since early September have left nearly 400 dead, many of them civilians.