Saudi Crown Prince meets Iraq's Prime Minister in Riyadh

On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman met with Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi in Riyadh, marking the first visit by a foreign leader to the Saudi capital since a Houthi attack on the airport. The Saudi Press Agency shared footage and images of the meeting, where they discussed "the latest regional developments and co-ordination of efforts in a way that enhances the security and stability of the region."

The Iraqi Prime Minister's office revealed that they addressed the "latest regional developments" and "co-ordination of efforts" to bolster security and stability in the area. Saudi Arabia has been grappling with escalating Houthi strikes over the past week, with an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday claiming 13 lives. The airport has been under attack four times, including the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in a decade.

Authorities have shut down the airport until October 17, leading airlines to cancel flights to the country. It remains unclear how Mr Al Zaidi managed to reach Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war since 2015, supporting the government due to concerns over Iranian influence and potential regional instability after the Houthis took over Sanaa. A UN-brokered truce in Yemen in 2022 maintained relative peace until recently.

However, the Red Cross reported a sharp increase in war casualties in Yemen's hospitals as fighting intensified along numerous front lines. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced that assistance to the government-controlled city of Taiz had been cut off due to encirclement by Houthi fighters earlier this month. The WFP stated that over 600,000 people, including more than 200,000 women and children, are lacking life-saving aid in Taiz.