Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Sunday renewed their warning against using Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, hours after the airport announced it would designate two terminals for flights following a suspension earlier this month. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the airport remained a military target and that operations targeting it would continue.

Airport resumes limited operations

Late on Saturday, King Khalid Airport said Terminal 1 would be designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights operated by national carriers starting on Sunday. Operations at the airport were halted on 10 October following an attack on the airport, claimed by the Houthis, that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade, according to Reuters. The suspension was extended two days later.

A wider pressure campaign

The Houthis have been firing ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations, turning US ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider war, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the Houthis seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month.

Warning to travellers and airlines

Mr Saree warned all airlines, airport staff and travellers against using the airport. The renewed warning does not by itself confirm a new attack, but it signals that the airport remains a stated target as Saudi and Houthi forces trade strikes. For travellers, the practical effect is continued uncertainty over schedules, even as the airport moves to restore limited services.