The long-running war in Yemen returned to full intensity in 2026, spilling across Saudi Arabia’s borders and drawing in the wider region. Key events, event by event, with sources:
Key Takeaways
- The fragile Yemen truce collapsed in July 2026, and Houthi strikes on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and Red Sea shipping accelerated through the summer.
- The October 10 missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded 309 — the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
- On October 15, Houthi missiles hit the presidential palace complex in Aden, seat of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, killing at least five people — the first strike of its kind.
- Every event below is sourced to reporting from multiple news outlets; Emadan News has covered this story since day one.
Background: a war that never fully ended
Yemen has been divided between the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah), which controls the capital Sanaa, and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government headquartered in Aden. A truce between the two sides unraveled in July 2026, and Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities, and Red Sea shipping intensified. The regional backdrop: in February 2026, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, opening a wider Middle East war in which the Houthis escalated against Saudi Arabia.
October 5 — Saudi-led coalition launches air support for “Operation Dawn of Yemen”
The Saudi-led coalition announced aerial support for “Operation Dawn of Yemen,” backing Yemeni government forces against the Houthis. After that announcement, Saudi airports faced missiles and drones fired across the kingdom’s southern border “almost daily.”
October 8 — Houthi missile attack kills three at Riyadh airport
A Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed three people, including an airline pilot and two other Saudi citizens, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). Several people of other nationalities were wounded. The airport briefly closed and then reopened.
October 10 — Deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in a decade
Around 3 p.m. on Saturday, a Houthi-fired missile struck a terminal at King Khalid International Airport. Saudi authorities reported 12 killed and 309 wounded, including an American citizen, in what was described as the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade — and the third attack on the airport that week. The airport was closed and more than 600 flights were cancelled.
President Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis.
For Emadan News’s full coverage, see our report: 12 Killed, 309 Wounded in Riyadh Airport Missile Attack as Trump Weighs US Strikes on Houthis.
October 11 — Riyadh airport struck again; Houthis claim Aramco and Dammam hits
One person was killed and 11 wounded in another attack on King Khalid International Airport on Sunday — the fourth strike on the airport in five days. In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for Saturday’s deadly attack and said the group had also targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and two Saudi Aramco facilities. Saudi civil aviation confirmed the Dammam strike; there was no immediate confirmation of the Aramco attacks.
October 12 — Coalition intercepts another missile over Riyadh
Saudi air defenses intercepted another Houthi missile near Riyadh on Monday, as the airport’s suspension stretched into a second week and airlines kept cancelling flights.
October 14 — Houthi strikes hit Aramco HQ and Riyadh airport
Emadan News reported strikes hitting the Aramco headquarters and Riyadh airport, with the group vowing more attacks (full report). The next day the coalition reported intercepting a Houthi drone in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province (full report).
October 15 — Missiles hit the presidential palace in Aden; cruise missile intercepted near Medina
The conflict’s most significant escalation came on Thursday, when the Houthis fired five missiles at the al-Maashiq presidential palace complex in Aden — the seat of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and the first strike of its kind on the complex. Yemen’s health minister said five people were killed and 16 injured; officials told Reuters two security guards were killed. Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani was present but unharmed. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters inside the compound.
The same day, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces also intensified around the Red Sea port city of Taiz, with aid agencies warning that the healthcare system there was near breaking point.
Full coverage: Houthi Missiles Hit Aden Presidential Palace, 2 Killed.
The wider pattern
The conflict has also touched global shipping, with strikes reported in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in October. Whether the US joins Saudi strikes on the Houthis directly, and whether air traffic at Riyadh’s airport fully recovers, are the key questions now. Emadan News updates this story continuously — follow our World section for the latest.
Timeline compiled from reporting by Al Jazeera, Reuters, Haaretz, Le Monde, the Business Times, and Malay Mail, cross-checked against Emadan News’s own coverage of the events. Casualty figures are as reported by official sources and vary slightly between outlets.
