The US Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia have issued a heightened security alert warning American citizens of ongoing missile and drone attacks targeting airports across the kingdom, as regional tensions escalate amid intensified fighting involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.
The US mission said operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained suspended, while King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam were operating with delays and cancellations. It urged travellers to exercise extreme caution, check flight status directly with airlines and airports, and remain alert to possible airspace closures and further attacks.
The embassy has also restricted travel for American government personnel in Saudi Arabia. US government employees must obtain special authorisation from the Chief of Mission before using any airport in the kingdom, following recent missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks.
The mission advised American citizens to monitor emergency alerts issued by Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence and consider road, rail and bus services as alternatives to air travel.
It said land border crossings, including the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain, and highways around Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran remained operational. Airports in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were also reported to be operating, though travellers were advised to confirm their status directly.
The embassy warned US citizens that Saudi authorities strictly enforce laws against filming or sharing images and information about missile and drone interceptions and impact sites. It said Americans had been detained for violating the rules, including by photographing government buildings, airports and strike locations.
The alert comes amid a sharp escalation in attacks involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that Saudi aircraft had carried out 110 airstrikes and missile attacks over 24 hours across several Yemeni governorates, including Sanaa, Hodeidah, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah, Sa’da, Al-Jawf, Al-Dhale’a and Ma’rib.
He said more than 30 people had been killed or injured, mostly women and children, and claimed the total number of Saudi-led airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation began had reached 2,652. These figures were provided by the Houthi spokesperson.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence agency also issued a warning of “potential danger” for Abha, the capital of the southwestern Aseer province, before later confirming that the threat had cleared. Residents were urged to follow civil defence instructions and avoid gathering or filming.
The conflict has heightened concerns over regional energy supplies and maritime trade routes, particularly the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of the internationally recognised government. A truce agreed in 2022 held until this year, according to the supplied reports.
Saudi Arabia has been seeking support from regional allies as Houthi attacks on airports and oil infrastructure have intensified. At least 19 people have been killed and thousands of flights have been affected, while global markets have been rattled, according to reports.
In a sign of increased regional coordination, United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Saudi Arabia’s defence minister in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to discuss regional developments and ways to strengthen security cooperation, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported.
The meeting followed a visit to Riyadh last month by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the first trip by a senior UAE official to the kingdom since a rift emerged between the two Gulf powers last year.
Egypt also announced support for Saudi Arabia amid the escalation. The National Defence Council, chaired by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, agreed to provide “all possible forms of support” to help Saudi Arabia defend its security, according to a presidential statement. The announcement did not specify what assistance would be provided. El-Sissi called on Saturday for parliament to authorise the deployment of troops and military equipment abroad.
(With agency input from ANI and Reuters)