On Oct. 10, Iranian-backed Houthis struck King Khalid International Airport, in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh, according to Al Jazeera. The missile attack, as of latest Saudi reports, killed 13 people, including an American national. 300 more were wounded.
This attack was one of the deadliest in recent years and came after the Saudi Arabian-backed Yemeni government launched a large offensive against the Houthis in Yemen last week, according to the Associated Press. Houthi officials claimed responsibility for the attack in addition to warning all passengers at Saudi airports that they are unsafe, except for those in the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
After the attacks on Saturday, President Donald Trump told reporters that the U.S. would look into taking retaliatory actions against the Houthis, according to ABC News. Trump has yet to give a comment regarding his stance on U.S. intervention.
The Houthis attack came after they claimed Saudi forces struck the airport in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. The attack consisted of a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles, according to Al Jazeera
The Saudi government plans to investigate how their American-made Patriot aerial defense system failed to prevent the strikes from landing, according to AP. In addition, the Saudis aim to investigate how the Houthis were able to strike so far into the country without warning systems going off. Yemeni drones and missiles had to have flown around 620 miles to reach Riyadh.
The Houthi conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since 2014, but since war broke out in Gaza in 2023 and after the outbreak of the American and Israeli-led strikes on Iran, the conflict has gotten worse, according to Al Jazeera.
Houthis, who are armed and backed by the Iranians, have made massive advances in the southwest and took control the of the area next to the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, thought recently Yemeni government forces claim to have retaken it. At the southern mouth of the Red Sea, the strait is a key pinch point for maritime traffic through the Suez Canal, according to Reuters. Control of this strait is currently being contested by the Saudi-backed government forces.
The Houthi connection with the current Iranian regime is a key part of the current conflict, said Fakhreddin Azimi, a University of Connecticut history professor specializing in Iranian and Middle Eastern studies.
“Geopolitical and strategic factors, including the Houthi capacity to control, disrupt or influence traffic in the Bab al-Mandeb can strategically benefit the Iranian government in its current confrontation with the U.S.,” Azimi said.
Azimi also highlighted that the Iranian backing of the Houthis is not as extensive as the Saudi backing of the Yemeni government forces.
“In contrast to their fragmented Saudi backed Yemeni opponents, a spirit of cohesion and perseverance which is difficult to explain, is a key factor in the Houthi survival,” Azimi said.
On Oct. 14, the Houthis struck the headquarters of Aramco, a Saudi oil company based in the city of Dhahran. According to AP, the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture reported no casualties.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and called it a reprisal for Saudi attacks last week, according to Al Jazeera. The military also threatened to continue attacks across Saudi Arabia.