Riyadh Hit by Houthi Strikes as Iran Threatens US Tech Assets
Saudi Arabia’s capital faced intense overnight bombardment on Monday when Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for striking King Khaled International Airport with a ballistic missile. The attack followed a series of weekend strikes on the city and included claims that King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait was also targeted. A Western official stationed in Riyadh confirmed multiple explosions across the metropolis to Middle East Eye, noting that social media footage showed significant fires, although independent verification of the videos remained unavailable. In response to the security breach, Saudi authorities announced that the international airport would remain closed until 17 October, according to an advisory note from Notice to Airmen.
The assaults occur just weeks before the kingdom is scheduled to host the Future Investment Initiative conference, a premier platform for promoting national economic potential. The instability has already impacted high-level business attendance; CEOs of major energy firms including ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies skipped the opening day of a separate energy gathering in Riyadh. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman addressed the attendees directly, stating that while the country remains safe and protection is guaranteed, the presence of the gathering does not mean the risk has vanished.
Regional tensions have simultaneously escalated in the Strait of Hormuz, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported attacking a supertanker attempting to exit the waterway. This incident marked the third assault on vessels within two days, highlighting a struggle for control between Washington and Tehran despite their avoidance of direct military confrontation. Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei raised the stakes further in a Monday interview, warning that Tehran could target infrastructure belonging to US technology companies in the UAE and around the Strait if war resumes. He specified that data centers, artificial intelligence facilities, and undersea cables are currently excluded from targets but could be destroyed should conflict erupt.
Tasnim News, an outlet close to the IRGC, additionally reported suggestions that Tehran should impose a sovereignty fee on cables passing through the strategic waterway. This development follows the collapse of a June ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, which had partially failed due to disputes over traffic control and fee imposition in the strait. Consequently, Brent crude oil prices rose approximately two percent to $106 per barrel on Monday.
US President Donald Trump has attempted to mitigate rising fuel costs ahead of the November midterm elections, recently blaming Ukraine for diesel price hikes. Last week, he reached a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to waive sanctions on Russian diesel sales, a move condemned by Ukrainian supporters. Analysts noted that Moscow may have purchased Iranian diesel following Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that caused fuel shortages starting in May. Open-source images appeared to show fuel trucks with Farsi script in Russia, though Middle East Eye could not verify these immediately.
Despite the Houthi offensive, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stated that Riyadh aims to boost oil export capacity to 10 million barrels per day by bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The kingdom plans to add up to 1.2 million barrels per day within seven to eight weeks by temporarily converting a gas pipeline running alongside the East-West oil Pipeline. The attacks on Riyadh, which killed at least 13 people and wounded hundreds, have increased pressure on Trump to intervene. Trump described the airport strike as unacceptable and indicated the US would consider joining Saudi strikes. Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti warned that any US involvement would trigger a swift and painful response targeting American interests in the region. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is seeking to strengthen defense cooperation with Turkey and Pakistan under the Mecca Pact and reportedly rejected an Israeli offer to join the war in Yemen.
This report was produced in the Europe Brief News newsroom.
