Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation to determine how its air defenses failed to intercept a series of missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels — including an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, according to two regional officials on Monday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the initial investigation indicated that the Houthis, backed by Iran, first fired several drones to pave the way for a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles that struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
One official stated that the investigation also aims to uncover why the air defense systems did not issue an advance warning about the attack, in which the Houthi missiles and drones travelled more than 1,000 kilometers to reach Riyadh.
“The events of the past weeks are grave,” said Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman at the World Petroleum and Energy Congress in Riyadh on Monday. “Our response must be equally grave.”
The incident — one of a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports since last week — exposed vulnerabilities in the Saudi defense system and signaled a dangerous turning point in an escalating conflict in the Middle East, which began more than seven months ago when the United States and Israel began their war against Iran.
*Content translated with the aid of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Broadcast Editorial Desk
