UAE agrees with Saudi Arabia to re-enter Yemen conflict amid Houthi gains

The United Arab Emirates has agreed to re-enter the Yemen conflict by resuming payments to some Yemeni government forces fighting Houthi fighters in the south. In exchange, Saudi Arabia will provide air cover for these forces. This cooperation marks a potential healing of the rift between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, driven by alarm over Houthi advances. The UAE had previously withdrawn its funding and operations in Yemen. Recent Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, as well as strikes in Aden, have heightened regional concerns. Egypt is convening parliament to grant its military powers to defend Saudi Arabia, while the UK is reviewing its military aid to Saudi Arabia.

Iran-backed Houthis have launched missile attacks on Yemen's interim capital, Aden, targeting the presidential palace and airport. The strikes on Al-Maashiq Presidential Palace killed five people and wounded 16, while two missiles landed near a passenger plane at Aden International Airport. These attacks, occurring as Yemen's war reignites and becomes part of a wider regional conflict, represent a significant escalation. The Houthis claim to be targeting military sites, while the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia blame Iran for encouraging the escalation. The UN Security Council has condemned escalating Houthi attacks.

Fighting in Yemen has intensified, with Houthi rebels launching drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's oil facilities, airports, and cities like Riyadh and Dhahran. These attacks, which have caused limited damage and some casualties, aim to increase the cost of the war for Saudi Arabia. In response, the Saudi-led coalition has conducted strikes on Houthi strongholds in Sanaa. On the ground in Yemen, government forces are engaged in a counteroffensive to reclaim territory near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The escalating conflict threatens major upcoming events in Saudi Arabia, including an investment conference and a tennis tournament, and signals ongoing economic and international implications.

Yemen's information minister reported that a Houthi ballistic missile attack on al-Maashiq Palace killed two people, though the prime minister and other ministers were unharmed. This attack follows a pattern of Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabia, which they claim are retaliation for strikes on their controlled territory. Saudi Arabia's deputy foreign minister accused Iran of encouraging the Houthis' escalation, citing alleged Iranian arming and training, which Iran has denied while offering political support and mediation assistance. The ongoing civil war in Yemen, which began in 2014 when Houthis ousted the internationally recognized government, escalated in 2015 with the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition.

Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks near the presidential palace in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday. Witnesses reported at least six explosions, and government sources stated that between two and four people were killed and up to ten wounded. The attack reportedly hit a command center for the Saudi-led coalition forces at the presidential complex. The Houthis stated their strategy is to attack Saudi targets, including oil infrastructure and airports. This escalation of fighting, the first on the Aden palace complex since July, has disrupted regional aviation and complicated efforts to end the wider Yemen war. Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted a cruise missile and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh. Saudi civil defense issued two alerts via its national early warning platform, later confirming the danger had passed. The Houthis claimed responsibility for this attack and also stated they targeted Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh, as well as Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed an Aramco administrative building in Dhahran was hit. This incident follows recent Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport that resulted in fatalities and injuries, and other attacks on airports and Aramco facilities.

Saudi Arabia claims its forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis towards Riyadh, marking the third consecutive day of such attacks. The Houthis stated they targeted King Khalid International Airport, which remains closed following previous strikes that caused casualties. The coalition spokesperson reported that three missiles, two aimed at Khamis Mushait and one at Riyadh, were destroyed. These attacks occur amidst the ongoing conflict in Yemen and have led to flight cancellations by airlines. Saudi officials are investigating the effectiveness of their air defenses, while the Houthis have warned against operating flights to Saudi airports and threatened retaliation against US involvement.

Operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were suspended following an attack on Saturday afternoon that injured several people, according to the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority. This incident follows a previous Houthi attack on Thursday that killed at least three Saudi citizens. The Houthi group, engaged in a conflict with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government, has previously warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace. While the Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack, they have targeted aircraft operating in the region. The airport advised passengers to check flight statuses, and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed citizens with disrupted travel plans to contact local embassies.

Yemen's Houthi rebels reportedly launched a missile attack on Riyadh's international airport, with dozens injured and witnesses describing panic. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the strike. This incident follows previous Houthi attacks on Saudi airports this week. Meanwhile, forces allied with Yemen's UN-recognized government claim a successful offensive to retake the Bab al-Mandab strait from Houthi rebels, though accounts vary on the extent of the recapture. The Houthi war in Yemen has escalated, with the UN envoy acknowledging a return to full-scale war.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was evacuated on Saturday following a loud blast, according to reports. This incident follows claims by Yemen's Houthi rebels of two deadly attacks on the airport the previous day. Saudi authorities have not yet commented on the latest event, though the airport advised passengers to check with their airlines. The attacks are occurring amidst an escalation in fighting between Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces and the Houthis, who state they are targeting Saudi Arabia due to its support for the government in Yemen's civil war. Previously, Houthi attacks on two Saudi airports on October 6 and 7 resulted in three fatalities.

Saudi Arabia reopened Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport after Houthi attacks on Thursday killed three people and injured several. The attacks hit airport facilities and a Saudia Airlines aircraft, killing one pilot. The General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed airport operations have resumed. The Houthis have targeted Saudi airports in recent days amid an offensive by the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government. A Houthi spokesperson claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile strike on King Khalid airport. Earlier attacks this week on other Saudi airports also resulted in civilian casualties. The Houthis have warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace.

Three people, including a pilot, were killed in attacks on Riyadh's international airport on Friday. Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes. This incident signifies an expansion of the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The Iran-backed Houthi fighters have been launching repeated attacks on Saudi targets following an offensive across the border. The Houthis have also been seizing territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claim to have struck Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile, causing significant damage to a parked Saudia Airlines plane. While the Houthis provided no evidence and Saudi Arabia has not officially commented, witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke at King Khalid International Airport. The incident has led some airlines, including Lufthansa and Air India, to suspend flights to the Saudi capital, and many departures were cancelled. This follows earlier Saudi reports of three deaths from strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports this week. The Houthis stated their attacks are in retaliation for Saudi Arabia's involvement in Yemen's civil war.

The Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted three ballistic missiles allegedly fired by Yemen's Houthis on Thursday. Two missiles were reportedly heading towards the capital, Riyadh, and one towards Khamis Mushait, near the Yemeni border. Debris from an intercepted missile in Riyadh caused material damage to a kindergarten and medical clinic complex, though casualties were not indicated. The Houthi military spokesman claimed responsibility for a missile targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, stating it hit its target and disrupted air traffic. Witnesses reported hearing explosions in Riyadh, including at the airport, which halted flights. The Houthis have recently warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace, deeming aircraft operating there as targets.

Three people were killed and 36 others wounded in separate Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian airports on October 6th and 7th. Abha International Airport saw two fatalities, including women of Moroccan and Algerian nationalities, and 28 injuries. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was also targeted, resulting in one death of a Sudanese national and eight wounded. The Houthi military spokesperson claimed responsibility for these attacks, stating they were carried out with ballistic missiles and drones. These incidents represent an escalation in the ongoing conflict between Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has confirmed that three people have died as a result of Houthi strikes on two of its international airports. The attacks targeted airport infrastructure, leading to casualties. The article does not specify when these strikes occurred. The Houthi group is identified as the perpetrator of these attacks. This incident highlights ongoing hostilities and their impact on civilian areas within Saudi Arabia.

Houthi attacks on Abha and King Khalid International Airports in Saudi Arabia resulted in the deaths of three foreign nationals and injured 36 others. On Tuesday, an attack on Abha airport killed two female residents, one Moroccan and one Algerian, and injured 28. The following day, an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed a Sudanese citizen and injured eight residents, including five Saudis. Saudi aviation authorities are coordinating with security agencies to assess damage and ensure safety. These incidents follow previous interceptions of Houthi missile launches towards Riyadh. The US embassy in Riyadh has issued a security alert for Americans due to the ongoing security situation.

Saudi Arabia reported that three people were wounded in attacks on Jazan and Najran airports, located near the Yemen border, on Monday evening. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority stated that the strikes caused minor injuries and material damage. Yemen's Houthi forces claimed responsibility for targeting sites across southern Saudi Arabia, including airports and military locations. The attacks have been condemned by the Gulf Cooperation Council and Kuwait, who described them as a dangerous escalation and criticized the targeting of civilian facilities. These incidents occur amidst an increase in fighting within Yemen between Houthi forces and those loyal to the internationally recognized government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia.