Alleged Houthi missile strike hits Riyadh airport; Saudi Arabia on high alert, Netanyahu trial resumes, US lifts Lebanon flight ban
Why It MattersRepeated strikes on a major Gulf hub airport raise safety and routing risks for international and business aviation across the region.
Saudi Arabia remained on high alert Sunday after a suspected Houthi missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 on Saturday. The kingdom's main international airport was kept closed and Riyadh schools shifted to online learning. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels had claimed two previous deadly attacks on the same airport earlier in the week but had not claimed responsibility for the Saturday strike; Houthi military spokesperson Gen. Yahya Saree urged "everyone to take our warnings seriously" and threatened further airstrikes.
In Israel, former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit testified Sunday in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial. Mandelblit, a former Cabinet secretary whom Netanyahu had selected as attorney general, had indicted Netanyahu seven years ago on charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes — the first such charges ever brought against a sitting Israeli prime minister. Netanyahu was present in the courtroom and said "the truth comes to light" before entering, with the proceedings coming weeks ahead of national elections.
In Gaza, residents returned Sunday morning to central areas struck by Israeli forces after evacuation warnings the day before. Resident Bassam Abed said at least 10 residences housing around 300 families were destroyed. The Israeli military said it targeted militant infrastructure including three weapons storage facilities, a rocket launch site, and a Hamas command center, with the strikes occurring one year after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal, though Israel has continued near-daily strikes.
The White House formally lifted a decades-old ban on direct flights between the United States and Lebanon, fulfilling a commitment Trump made in July. Direct flights had been suspended since 1985 under the Reagan administration following the hijacking of TWA Flight 847. The Lebanese embassy in Washington called the move "a major step toward resuming direct flights."
