Middle East & North Africa
Saudi Arabia: “Iran is encouraging” the Houthi attacks on Riyadh – the airport deaths are “war crimes”
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Rayed Krimly openly accused Iran of encouraging the escalation of Houthi attacks on Riyadh, after more than a week of strikes on the King Khalid airport, Aramco and other targets that have killed at least 19 people.
Saudi Arabia has openly accused Iran of being behind the escalation of Houthi attacks on Riyadh. “We believe that the Houthi escalation at this later stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran,” Rayed Krimly, deputy foreign minister for public diplomacy, said in a rare briefing for journalists on Thursday, October 15. Tehran, he added, “continues to arm, train and support the Houthi militia in violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and of its commitments under the Beijing agreement”. Iran has since rejected the accusation.
The briefing came after more than a week of Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, Aramco’s headquarters and other aviation, oil and military targets. At least 19 people, including foreigners, have been killed, which Krimly described as war crimes. According to RFE/RL, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki counted 20 attacks on the airport during the month. A strike on the airport on October 14 killed 13 people, while debris from two intercepted missiles injured four and damaged 15 homes, according to CBS.
The Saudi official revealed that Riyadh keeps direct communication with Tehran but that “overall, it does not yet seem that the Iranians can make the necessary concessions to find a solution”. The kingdom has not asked for Iranian mediation with the Houthis. “We maintain direct channels of communication with the Houthis and Oman acts as a facilitator of these talks, not a mediator,” he said, adding that the Houthis rejected a proposal for a meeting in Muscat. Krimly also claimed that some of the capabilities of Iran and the Houthis, or information, come from “elements in Russia or China, even commercial ones”.
The Houthis show no sign of de-escalating. Their spokesman Yahya Saree said on October 15 that Saudi airspace and airports are “unsafe”, except for Mecca and Medina, and in recent days they have hit the presidential palace in Aden with missiles. The coalition is responding with strikes, having announced the destruction of 127 missile depots. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the Saudi blockade of the Houthis “unjust and illegal” on Thursday, while Donald Trump had written on October 12 that the Houthis re-emerged “most likely on Iran’s orders”.
