Houthis strike Saudi airports

Iran-aligned Houthi rebels attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, killing one person and wounding eight. The group claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Death toll rises across two airports

An attack on Abha International Airport killed two people and wounded 28, Saudi civil aviation authorities said on Wednesday. Combined with the Riyadh strike, three people died and 36 were injured.

Houthis warn airlines to leave

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree warned airlines on Thursday not to continue flights in Saudi airspace, calling it a theater for Houthi military operations and saying this was a final warning.

“for the last time”

Saudi coalition vows retaliation

A Saudi-led coalition said late Wednesday the attacks will not go unpunished. It claimed to have destroyed 82 Houthi military sites across Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf, and Marib in Yemen.

“will not go unpunished”

Fighting over key shipping strait

The Houthi attacks follow Yemen's government forces launching a major offensive to recapture territory around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait seized by the rebels. Yemeni forces said they reached Mokha on Monday.

Humanitarian crisis deepens

The fighting has revived Yemen's yearslong civil war, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest fighting began in June, the International Organization for Migration said.

Iran's role in the conflict

The Saudi-led coalition accuses Iran of arming and funding the Houthis, which both Iran and the rebel group deny. The Houthis reportedly received direction from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to capture Mokha last month.

Saudi Arabia seeks regional support

Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan in August. Turkey has sent defensive and technical support, Reuters reported, and Syria is weighing providing military aid to support the Yemeni offensive.

Tanker attacks surge in Hormuz

Attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz hit their highest weekly level since the Iran War began. There were at least 12 attacks on oil, LNG, and LPG tankers between September twenty-eighth and October fifth, Reuters reported.

Iran claims control of strait

Iran said Wednesday it would close illegal routes bypassing Tehran's blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Mohammadreza Naqdi, an adviser to the Revolutionary Guards' Commander, told the IRGC-linked Fars news agency the strait is closed and under full Iranian control.

“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have full control over it”

U.S. disputes Iran's control claim

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran had lost complete control of the Strait as the U.S. Navy continues escorting vessels through it. Middle Eastern crude exports exceeded pre-war levels on fourteen days in September, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.

“lost complete control of the Strait”

Oil prices rise amid shipping threats

Analysts say increased attacks in the Strait, coupled with threats to Bab el-Mandeb, could quickly raise shipping costs and disrupt flows. Brent crude topped one hundred dollars a barrel on Wednesday after retreating from nearly one hundred ten dollars last month.