Mohan Sinha
19 Oct 2026

DUBAI, U.A.E.: Missiles struck Aden International Airport in southern Yemen on October 16, while Saudi Arabia's military coalition reported intercepting a ballistic missile aimed at Yanbu, a major oil export hub on the Red Sea.

The attacks came as the widening regional conflict raised concerns about shipping safety and global energy supplies.

The Saudi-led coalition said it had also destroyed two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones in Saudi Arabia's southern regions and Riyadh. It did not identify those responsible for the attacks.

In Aden, two missiles landed inside the airport grounds, according to the city's Security Department, which blamed the Iran-backed Houthi group. The department said it was the second attack on the airport in less than a week. The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility.

No casualties were reported. A Yemenia Airways flight bound for Cairo was preparing to take off when the missiles landed, the security department said.

Yanbu is an important route for Saudi oil exports. It allows the kingdom to transport crude oil to international markets through the Red Sea, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has severely restricted traffic through the strategic waterway since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran in February.

Growing regional tensions and fears of shipping disruptions have heightened concerns about tighter global energy supplies. Brent crude oil briefly reached US$110 a barrel on October 16, its highest level since May.

Saudi Civil Defense authorities issued an alert early on October 17 for Abha, a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, before later declaring the situation safe. Earlier, alerts had been issued in the Jazan region and Khamis Mushait, another southwestern city. Such warnings have become more frequent since fighting resumed last month.

Early the same day, media outlets linked to the Houthis reported airstrikes east of Saada, a city in northwestern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition said it had destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in the area.

The renewed fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen's internationally recognized government, has raised fears of a further worsening of the country's humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations have warned that conditions are deteriorating rapidly.

The conflict in Yemen has become another front in the wider regional war involving Iran. The Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to move south. Saudi Arabia led a military intervention in 2015 to support the government.

Years of fighting largely ended in a stalemate before a truce was reached in 2022. However, that period of relative calm lasted until this year, when hostilities intensified again.

Since the conflict resumed, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, targeting airports, oil facilities and other infrastructure. In recent days, they have also attacked locations in areas of Yemen controlled by the government, including Aden airport and the presidential palace in the interim capital.

A spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry said on October 16 that 124 civilians had been killed and 327 injured in what he called "Saudi aggression" since the latest escalation began on September 3.