Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid Airport, after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they attacked the airport, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 8, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. NEWS USE ONLY. BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. Verification lines: The location was verified as Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the airport buildings, light poles, and painted tarmac markings which matched satellite imagery. Coordinates: 24.952651844496998, 46.70783371105999 Smoke was seen rising from a stationary aircraft at Riyadh airport on Thursday, according to a witness and three people briefed on the matter. There was no immediate official confirmation from Saudi authorities on the reported incident. No versions of the video were found posted online before October 8.
Smoke and flames rise from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on October 8, 2026, after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed the attack [Reuters]
Published On 12 Oct 2026

Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Saudi state news agency reported.

The two ministers discussed the recent escalations in the region after the Houthis, backed by Iran, attacked Saudi airports.

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In a post on Telegram on Sunday, Araghchi emphasised that insisting on a military approach while disregarding political solutions would further complicate the situation. The Iranian minister said the region’s crises have no military solutions. Last week, Araghchi said “there is no military solution” to the US war, adding, “only negotiations based on justice and fairness” could end the conflict.

Araghchi said Iran is ready to provide any assistance necessary to facilitate the start of dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Yemen and to help achieve a political solution.

Following the deadly attack on the Riyadh airport that killed 12 people and wounded 300, US President Donald Trump said he would reconsider the US role in Yemen, adding that he is weighing resuming strikes on Iran.

These remarks represent a departure from the president’s comments on Thursday that Washington will not resume strikes on Iran until after the US midterm elections.

Iranian and Saudi diplomatic ties have endured despite longstanding friction, with embassies restored under a 2023 Chinese-brokered agreement remaining operational. Before that breakthrough, a seven-year diplomatic rupture had fuelled regional proxy conflicts.

Riyadh’s relationship with Tehran has deteriorated since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in late February. Following the attacks, Tehran and its aligned forces have struck US military assets and energy infrastructure across the Gulf region, including oil fields in Saudi Arabia.

In March 2026, Prince Faisal warned Iran that tolerance of its attacks on Saudi Arabia and those of neighbouring Gulf states is limited, calling on Tehran to “recalculate” its strategy.