Missiles Fired at Saudi Airports: Houthis Warn the Kingdom They Have "Opened the Gates of Hell"

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry confirmed Monday evening that its air defense systems had intercepted ballistic missiles launched from Yemen toward the kingdom's southern region. Simultaneously, flights scheduled to depart from and arrive at Abha Airport were canceled and passengers evacuated from the terminal in response to the threat.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued a warning following the attacks: "The second round of strikes will begin soon and will target Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure. We advise countries in the Middle East not to intervene."

The Saudi Defense Ministry initially announced that its air defense systems were responding to Houthi launches. It subsequently confirmed that "air defense systems intercepted ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi rebels in the south of the country."

Yemeni Houthi officials claimed the attack was carried out using hypersonic missiles, describing it as a direct response to earlier Saudi strikes on Sanaa International Airport. According to one report, the targets also included King Khalid Air Base and Prince Sultan Air Base on Saudi territory.

Senior Houthi official Hazam al-Assad escalated the rhetoric sharply: "They have opened the gates of hell upon themselves. We told them: either there will be airlines, airports, ports, trains, oil companies, ships, shipping lines, investment and development for everyone — or there will be none of these for anyone."

Earlier Monday, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa Airport, claiming the attack was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing at the capital's airport — forcing the plane to divert and land at Hodeidah Airport instead. Saudi Arabia had not confirmed responsibility for the Sanaa strike at the time of publication.

The strike on Sanaa comes against the backdrop of weeks of escalating tensions between the two sides. Earlier this month, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of violating Yemeni airspace with fighter jets and issued explicit threats to retaliate.

Iran was swift to condemn the strike attributed to Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Ministry in Tehran stated: "We condemn the attack on Sanaa International Airport and view it as a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, as well as a direct assault on Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity."