Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport killed three as war escalates

On Thursday, Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport resulted in three fatalities and several injuries, according to Saudi authorities. The attacks also damaged a Saudi Airlines plane and prompted many airlines to cancel flights to the Saudi capital as it prepares to host a significant meeting of global oil executives. In response, Saudi airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, escalating the war that began due to the US-Iran conflict.

The Houthi group has intensified missile strikes on the kingdom, aiming to disrupt its airspace and reverse territorial gains. Saudi-led coalition forces claimed to have destroyed three of the Houthis' missile launch platforms and threatened further retaliation against civilian targets. Yemen's civil war has become a critical front in a broader regional conflict sparked by the US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28.

The Houthis have already killed three people with strikes on Saudi airports earlier in the week. As global energy markets are affected by the conflict, the Houthis have targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, further disrupting Gulf oil supplies. Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from Pakistan and Turkey in their defense against Houthi attacks and called for broader support from allies to counter the group's advances in Yemen.