4 killed in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia; European-regional meeting to discuss regional crises

Saudi air defenses continued to repel attacks by the Houthi militia, intercepting five drones today in Riyadh, Medina, and the Eastern Province, following their bloody assault on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and the Shaybah oil field operated by Aramco, which resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to ten.

Hours after announcing the interception of 11 drones launched by the Houthi militia toward the capital, Medina, and the Eastern Province, Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition supporting legitimacy, stated that air defenses intercepted and destroyed four drones in the Riyadh and Medina regions, and four others in the Eastern Province.

In Dammam, the General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that the death toll from the attack on King Fahd Airport yesterday rose to two, comprising a Saudi and an Indian national, with eight others suffering serious and moderate injuries. It confirmed the resumption of operations and the return of air traffic to normal, while continuing coordination with security authorities to assess damages and take necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and staff.

On the same day, two residents from the Philippines and Nepal were killed, and a Pakistani and an Indian national were injured, after drone fragments intercepted by air defenses fell while the drones attempted to target one of the processing plants at the Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province. The Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that the incident caused a fire in a contractor’s vehicle outside the plant, but the field itself was unaffected.

The Houthi militia claimed it launched four attacks on Saudi Arabia over two days, targeting the Ministry of Defense building in Riyadh, two airports, and the headquarters of Aramco oil company, threatening the Kingdom with “major options” if it “carries out its threat to target Yemeni tribes.”

Kuwait expressed its strong condemnation and rejection of the blatant Houthi militia attack on Dammam Airport, highlighting its flagrant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and its egregious breach of international law. It emphasized that continued targeting of airports and vital facilities constitutes a serious escalation and a direct threat to civilian lives and air navigation safety, necessitating a firm international stance to halt these attacks and hold those responsible accountable.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Kuwait’s absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its full support for all its measures to protect its security, stability, and sovereignty, affirming that the security of the Kingdom is an integral part of Kuwait’s security and the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In separate statements, Gulf states, the GCC Secretariat General, and Arab and Islamic countries condemned the Houthi attack on civilian facilities. European countries, led by the United Kingdom, also condemned the continued attacks.

While affirming Egypt’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the necessity of “exploring all opportunities to reach political solutions that ensure a complete withdrawal from territories recently occupied,” referring to areas controlled by the Houthis on the western coast.

In the context of international diplomatic efforts, Istanbul is hosting a meeting today of the foreign ministers of the “R4” group, comprising Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan, alongside their counterparts from the “E3” group, consisting of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, to discuss developments in Yemen, Houthi militia threats to Saudi security and navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, and regional security guarantees.

The meeting is expected to emphasize the importance of protecting Saudi security against Houthi militia attacks, the necessity of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, and efforts to contain conflicts and prevent the expansion of hostilities in the region.

The German news agency DPA quoted government sources in Berlin as saying that the meeting will discuss conflicts in the region, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, “Iranian threats,” the conflict in Yemen and its repercussions on maritime navigation, and Houthi Ansar Allah attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is receiving the ministers participating in this meeting. The official Anadolu Agency reported that Fidan said Turkey also wants to discuss the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, and settler violence against Palestinians. According to Anadolu, Fidan is seeking to call for the international community to take a firm stance against Israel and increase pressure on it.

In Yemen, government forces and popular resistance fighters engaged in fierce battles today to repel Houthi attacks on fronts in the besieged city of Taiz, coinciding with intensive air support as part of the “Yemen Dawn” operation, which entered its eighteenth day. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ministry of Defense warned residents in areas controlled by the group against participating in mobilization gatherings, cautioning that they would be considered legitimate military targets.