Iran war live: Saudi blasts Houthi ‘war crimes’; US warns on Saudi airports

In the past two weeks, the Yemeni Houthi militia has launched 20 attacks on Riyadh's international airport, according to Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition battling the Houthis. Al-Maliki reported that the assaults resulted in 17 deaths and over 330 injuries. The Indian embassy in Riyadh confirmed one fatality during this period, which accounts for the discrepancy in reported deaths, leading some sources to cite 18 fatalities at the airport.

Two fatalities and 28 injuries were also recorded in a Houthi assault on Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, al-Maliki stated. He urged the Iran-backed Houthis to "immediately cease their terrorist acts" aimed at civilians and civilian facilities. Al-Maliki emphasized that the coalition had conducted multiple strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including missile depots in the mountainous area near Sana'a.

Simultaneously, the Houthis on Thursday reiterated their warning that Saudi airspace and airports are unsafe, with the exception of Mecca and Medina. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed in a statement that Saudi Arabia has conducted more than 274,000 airstrikes against Yemen over the past 12 years. He characterized Houthi operations as "defensive" and declared they would persist until Saudi Arabia stops what the group perceives as its aggression and blockade of Yemen.

The ongoing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen has intensified with the escalation of the Iran war. Saudi Arabia has been collaborating with Yemen's internationally recognized government against the Houthis since 2015.