Smoke and flight delays at Riyadh airport after air raid alert
An overnight air‑raid alert in Saudi Arabia’s capital triggered a visible plume of black smoke and reported explosions near Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Saturday. Residents near the airport heard the blasts before Saudi civil‑defence officials declared an all‑clear later that morning. Reuters video captured thick, dark smoke and flames billowing from the vicinity of the airfield, prompting the flight‑tracking service FlightRadar24 to assign the airport a Level 5 disruption rating, signalling a very high probability of flight delays or cancellations. Saudi authorities have not provided an official comment, and requests for statements from the Ministry of Defense and airport officials went unanswered.
The alert came amid a sharp escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi rebels, who have recently intensified their maritime campaign in the Red Sea region. In the preceding week the Houthis seized the strategic Bab el‑Mandeb strait’s Red Sea port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, and later claimed control of the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, though those claims remain unverified. The strait, roughly 30 kilometres wide, handles about 8.7 percent of global seaborne trade, underscoring the broader economic stakes of the conflict. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly phoned U.S. President Donald Trump twice last week to request American strikes against Houthi positions, but Washington has so far declined direct military involvement.
The immediate impact of the alert was a disruption to air travel through Riyadh, a major hub for both domestic and international flights, potentially affecting thousands of passengers and cargo movements. The incident also highlights the expanding reach of the Houthi campaign, which now threatens not only maritime routes but also critical infrastructure within Saudi territory. As regional tensions rise, the lack of official Saudi commentary leaves uncertainty about the security measures being taken, while the continued absence of U.S. military response may influence future diplomatic and strategic calculations by both Riyadh and its allies.
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🌍World Economy
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