On Saturday, 10 October 2026, Houthi rebels fired a missile that struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, killing at least 13 people and injuring around 300. The attack marks the deadliest single incident on any Gulf state since the United States and Israel opened their campaign against Iran in February of this year.
A pattern of escalating violence
The strike on Riyadh follows a series of provocations that have steadily eroded the sense of security across the Gulf. Over a year ago, Iran launched missiles at a Qatari airbase that hosts American troops, an act portrayed at the time as a calibrated response to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Later in 2025, Israel carried out an attack on Doha, killing five Palestinians and one Qatari, signalling the end of an unspoken norm that Gulf lives were insulated from regional conflict.
When former President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched their joint war on Iran, the Gulf was drawn into the fray. Tehran retaliated by targeting military installations, energy facilities and desalination plants across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman. The bombardment disrupted daily life, shuttered schools for months and closed airports and airspace, dealing a blow to the billions the Gulf states have invested in tourism, sport and entertainment.
Yemen’s civil war re‑ignites
The renewed hostilities have also breathed new life into Yemen’s long‑running civil war. The conflict began in 2014 when Iran‑backed Houthi rebels seized Sana’a, prompting a Saudi‑led coalition to intervene in 2015. A de facto division of the country emerged in 2022, accompanied by a thaw between Riyadh and Tehran. However, the 2026 Iran war created fresh strategic openings; the closure of the Strait of Hormuz redirected shipping along Yemen’s coast, encouraging the Houthis to press for control of the Bab al‑Mandab passage in the Red Sea.
Five months after the Iran war began, Saudi Arabia intensified its air campaign against the Houthis, while the Saudi‑backed Yemeni government went so far as to bomb its own airport in Sana’a to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. A senior Houthi official said the Saturday attack was intended “so that the world understands” that Yemeni civilian infrastructure has been, and continues to be, targeted by the Saudis, reflecting a belief that Riyadh regards Yemeni lives as expendable.
Shifting alliances and a widening gap
The United States’ response has added another layer of complexity. After a meeting with Houthi representatives who pledged not to threaten US vessels in the Red Sea, the Trump administration declined to extend further military assistance to Saudi Arabia for its fight against the Houthis. This decision has left Riyadh facing a determined adversary without the security umbrella it once relied upon, prompting officials to warn of a protracted, costly struggle with limited prospects for a decisive outcome.
Analysts from across the political spectrum note that the Gulf’s traditional reliance on US security guarantees and its historic balancing act with Iran are no longer viable. The region now finds itself caught between outdated alliances that have lost their relevance and new hostilities that threaten to inflict severe human and economic damage.
Why it Matters
The Houthi strike on Riyadh is more than a tragic loss of life; it signals a fundamental shift in the Gulf’s security architecture. As traditional alliances fray and external powers recalibrate their commitments, the likelihood of prolonged conflict rises, threatening not only regional stability but also the global energy markets and humanitarian conditions that depend on the steady functioning of Gulf infrastructure. Policymakers on all sides must now confront the reality that old diplomatic scripts are insufficient, and that fresh, inclusive approaches are urgently needed to avert further escalation.
