Saudi Arabia’s main international airport has been targeted in multiple Houthi attacks, with Saturday’s strike killing at least 12 people and wounding hundreds.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are escalating their conflict with Saudi Arabia, with U.S. President Donald Trump weighing whether to join the fight.
The strike was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
Here’s what you need to know.
Houthis
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are a group of Iran-backed rebel fighters who have been in a civil war in Yemen since 2014.
In that time, the UN estimates hundreds of thousands of people have died due to conflict and famine.
Australia designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation in 2024.
The Saudi Arabian Government and military entered Yemen in 2015 to support Yemen’s then-president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, in his response to Houthi attacks.
A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely held for four years, before collapsing in July.
Escalation
The airport attacks come amid the wider Iran war, as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces intensifies.
Earlier this month, a Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive against the Houthis in Yemen.
The Houthis have responded with attacks on Saudi oil facilities and airports, including the strikes on Riyadh.
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Attacks
Last Thursday, three people, including a Saudi pilot, were killed in Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.
On Saturday, a Houthi missile strike killed 12 people and wounded 309 others.
The airport was shut to the public shortly afterwards.
On Sunday, another projectile hit the airport, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11 people.
Responses
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were in response to an intensified Saudi air campaign in Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition said Thursday’s attacks would “not go unpunished,” and vowed to retaliate after Saturday’s strike.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, saying the Houthis had violated international law.
Trump said the U.S. was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
Australia
Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the attacks, saying: “Houthi attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable and must cease”.
Australia’s embassy in Saudi Arabia initially urged Australians in Riyadh to “shelter in place”, but that advice has since been lifted.
The Australian government’s Smartraveller website continues to advise Australians to “reconsider your need to travel overall due to the security situation in Saudi Arabia”.
