Thirteen people died when a Houthi missile struck Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday. Another account put the toll at 13 dead and 309 wounded. A regional official told the Associated Press that the missile hit an area containing passenger terminals 3 and 4, which serve domestic flights. According to the Saudi aviation authority, the dead included people from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Sudan and Bangladesh, as well as Saudi citizens. Few regional conflicts have drawn ordinary travelers and migrant workers into the line of fire so quickly.
That attack happened four days ago. The strikes haven't stopped. On Wednesday, the Houthis vowed to continue targeting airports and oil facilities across Saudi Arabia. They also said they had struck the headquarters of Saudi Aramco, which came under attack the day before. Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said an administrative building in Dhahran was attacked, starting a limited fire, with no casualties. International media said it remained unclear whether a missile struck the building directly or interception debris caused the damage.
Civilian Toll
Saturday's strike came two days after another deadly assault on the same airport. In that earlier attack, at least one passenger aircraft, reportedly empty at the time, took damage, and three Saudi citizens, including a pilot, were killed. Three more people died in earlier attacks on airports in Riyadh and Abha last week.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that an American citizen was among the dead. He strongly condemned the attack and called for an immediate end to strikes that endanger innocent civilians. Saudi authorities deployed heavy security around the airport and warned people against distributing footage of the attacks.
The Houthis have placed civilians on their stated target list. They urged "international shipping companies," civilians and workers to evacuate airports and oil facilities, which they declared legitimate military targets. They say they're retaliating for the kingdom's backing of Yemeni government forces in the Yemen war, which restarted last month after the US-Iran confrontation in the Gulf reignited it. Airports full of passengers aren't military installations. The nationalities of those killed show who pays when the Houthis treat them as such.
An Escalating Exchange
The Aramco attack followed Saudi airstrikes on oil facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Before the strikes, Saudi authorities issued an evacuation warning for facilities belonging to the Yemeni Oil Company, particularly the al-Sabaha station in the capital, Sanaa. The Houthis then issued a warning by name to Aramco employees, listing the Dhahran headquarters, King Khalid International Airport and Aramco's Riyadh refinery as potential targets, along with precise locations.
Three people with direct knowledge told Reuters that the Dhahran headquarters suffered extensive damage, as fire spread across several floors. The top three floors, including the office of CEO Amin Nasser, suffered severe damage: part of the ceiling caved in, and windows and doors blew out. A fourth person said the fire continued into the early hours of Wednesday. Operations continued normally, but some employees were asked to work from home. On Wednesday, air raid sirens sounded in Riyadh and nearby Al-Kharj, and the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh.
Missiles With Chinese Parts
A Wall Street Journal report based on research by Conflict Armament Research said the Houthis are trying to manufacture advanced medium-range ballistic missiles independently, using components supplied from China. The components could help the group build its own version of Iran's Kheibar Shekan missile, with a range of up to 1,200 miles. That would put all of Saudi Arabia and Israel in range. According to the report, two shipments intercepted by Yemeni authorities in 2025, one year ago, concealed missile-related equipment among other goods. The seized material reportedly included metal components for missile bodies and engines, stabilizing fins, solid-fuel rocket motor components and heat-resistant materials.
UN reports cited by the Journal say Chinese companies have become the largest source of goods destined for the Houthis. Beijing says it complies with restrictions on arms sales to the group.
Israel Prepares for Spillover
Israeli defense officials assess that the Houthi threat has intensified during the fighting with Saudi Arabia, prompting heightened preparations for a possible surprise attack against Israel by land or sea. The IDF is expected to establish a fire coordination center within the Edom Division. Preparations also include reserve and rapid-response troops in the Eilat area, training exercises and joint drills with the Israel Police and Border Police.
Officials aren't ruling out a chain reaction: more Houthi attacks on the Saudi home front, a harsher Saudi response, a deeper US role, and then Houthi strikes on American interests on Israeli territory. "The Houthis have long since ceased to be regarded as proxies of the Iranians, and they are demonstrating operational independence with an inexplicable determination against the Saudis," one defense official said.
The Economic Fallout
The fighting is also hitting Saudi Arabia's economy. The kingdom's real GDP is projected to contract by 3.6% this year. The Future Investment Initiative, nicknamed "Davos in the Desert," will become a hybrid event, allowing executives to attend remotely, two people familiar with the matter said. Major oil bosses dropped out of an international conference in Riyadh on Monday, and several senior executives have reportedly canceled plans to attend the World Petroleum Council's energy congress this month. Employees in Riyadh's financial district were told to work from home Wednesday. Repeated missile attacks have also severely disrupted international aviation, effectively restricting access to Saudi airspace.
Why This Matters: Those killed at Riyadh airport were commuters and workers from seven countries and the Palestinian territories, not combatants. The Houthis' declaration that airports are legitimate targets puts thousands more at risk. Each round of strikes on oil facilities in Yemen and Saudi Arabia invites a sharper reply, and Israeli defense officials themselves warn that the chain could draw in the US military and Israel. Chinese-supplied missile parts suggest the group's reach may grow, while Beijing's denial leaves enforcement of arms restrictions in question. For civilians across the region, the gap between diplomatic condemnation and any mechanism to stop the strikes keeps widening.