Saudi-Led Coalition Says It Intercepted Missiles and Struck Houthi Sites

The exchanges over Saudi Arabia ran through another night, as the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired toward Khamis Mushait airbase late on Monday, along with one missile aimed at Riyadh. Saudi civil defence told residents of Khamis Mushait that the danger had passed.

A Houthi spokesman claimed a precise hit on Riyadh's airport and a direct drone hit on the Khamis Mushait base. Those claims are unconfirmed, and they conflict with the coalition's account of the night.

On Tuesday evening the coalition said it struck sites in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar, saying the sites supported Houthi missile and drone operations, and that it had warned civilians to stay away from them first. A health ministry run by the Houthis claimed two people were killed at an oil facility in Hodeidah. That toll comes from one side and has not been confirmed independently.

The fighting continues to disrupt air travel across the region. Riyadh's airport remains closed until Saturday, and airlines keep extending their pauses. Etihad is now cancelling its Abu Dhabi to Riyadh flights through Monday, and Cebu Pacific is suspending its Riyadh route until the end of the month.

One more airline move underlines how long carriers expect this to last. Cathay Pacific has pushed the restart of its Hong Kong to Riyadh and Hong Kong to Dubai flights back to the end of January, the longest postponement announced so far.

President Trump weighed in on the Saudi fighting on Tuesday. He said the Houthis were behaving very badly, accused them of trying to push oil prices higher ahead of next month's midterm elections, and said he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He said he might ask Turkish President Erdogan to support Saudi interests, and Turkey's presidency said Erdogan had already told the crown prince that Ankara stands by the kingdom.

From the October 14 episode of The World Briefing Room.