Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Missiles as Hormuz Burns

Saudi air defenses intercepted ballistic missiles and drones during renewed Houthi attacks, while fires were reported on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Iran said it had sent Washington a seven-day proposal through Qatar to reopen the strait. U.S. and British officials also warned their citizens about security risks and travel disruption in Saudi Arabia.

Missiles and Drones Target Saudi Arabia

On Sunday, the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said it intercepted two ballistic missiles fired toward Khamis Mushayt. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki separately said forces intercepted and destroyed a drone in the Riyadh region. Another coalition account reported drones intercepted in the Eastern and Riyadh regions, along with two missiles headed toward Khamis Mushayt.

Saudi residents received mobile alerts at around 1:30 a.m. local time warning of a “hostile aerial threat.” Authorities lifted the alert a few minutes later. Civil Defense said the danger had passed in Khamis Mushayt and nearby Abha, and urged residents to follow official instructions, avoid gathering, and refrain from filming.

On Saturday, Al-Maliki said coalition forces destroyed four drones over Riyadh, the Eastern Province and southern regions, as well as two missile launchers in Yemen’s Saada governorate. The coalition released footage that it said showed its forces destroying the launch platforms after detecting them firing missiles toward Saudi Arabia.

The renewed attacks followed the resumption of Yemen’s conflict in July. Saudi Arabia has faced repeated Houthi attacks on oil facilities, transportation infrastructure and other strategic sites. A previous attack on Riyadh’s airport killed 13 people, according to earlier reports cited by Arab News.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging the Houthi escalation, but Tehran denies the allegation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered to mediate and reiterated support for a political solution. Yemen’s government rejected the offer, saying Iran was a party to the conflict, not a neutral intermediary. Coalition airstrikes against Houthi facilities and installations continued.

Hormuz Proposal and Tanker Fires

Speaking at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Baghdad, Araghchi said Iran was ready for dialogue with Washington based on mutual respect and credible guarantees, but wouldn’t surrender its sovereign rights under pressure. He said Tehran had submitted a seven-day plan through Qatar to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the decision resting with Washington.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh called for fighting to end across the region, including in Lebanon. He accused the United States and Israel of violating a June memorandum of understanding by launching strikes on Iran and Lebanon, and said Washington should ensure Israel honours any ceasefire. Tehran reiterated that it was ready to address questions about its nuclear programme and reopen the strait within seven days.

Iran’s navy said an oil tanker caught fire in the Sea of Oman after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that a second oil supertanker struck a naval mine and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday. Reports described two vessels struck in the Persian Gulf and a separate tanker attack in the Arabian Sea. Al Jazeera’s live update reported fires on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. The United Kingdom’s maritime agency said a tugboat near the strait was hit by two projectiles, while gunmen fired on an LNG tanker off Yemen.

Travel Warnings and Security Measures

The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh urged American citizens to use extreme caution at Saudi airports after missile and drone attacks. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained closed, while airports in Jeddah and Dammam faced delays and cancellations. U.S. government employees needed special authorization from the Chief of Mission to use any Saudi airport.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advised against all travel within 10 kilometers of the Yemen border and all but essential travel elsewhere in Saudi Arabia. It told British nationals to stay away from King Khalid International Airport after a serious incident there on October 10, 2026, at about 3 p.m. local time, and to follow Saudi authorities’ instructions until they declared the airport secure. The FCDO said further airport attacks, travel disruption and flight cancellations were very likely.

President Donald Trump said at a rally in Kentucky that the war with Iran would end “very quickly.” He defended U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, saying they had crippled Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. The embassy advised Americans to follow Saudi Civil Defense alerts and check flight status with airlines and airports.