A large plume of black smoke was seen near Riyadh’s main airport on Saturday after an overnight air raid alert, amid an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Reuters footage showed black smoke rising and flames near Riyadh’s King Khalid airport, while residents told AFP they heard explosions before Saudi’s civil defense issued an all-clear on Saturday morning.
Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 rated the airport at Level 5 on its disruption index, indicating a very high likelihood of delays or cancellations.
Saudi authorities have not commented on the reported incident. The Saudi ministry of defense and Riyadh’s airport authorities did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
The first air raid alert for the Saudi capital came amid escalating attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed rebel group. The Houthis tightened their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb strait last week by seizing the Red Sea port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, also known as Perim.
On Monday, Yemeni and Houthi officials said they captured the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, though those claims have not been independently verified. The roughly 30-kilometer-wide strait carries about 8.7% of global seaborne trade, according to UN figures.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump twice last week to seek U.S. strikes on Houthi targets, but Washington has so far resisted direct military intervention.