Iran war updates: Saudi downs Houthi missiles during ongoing deadly attacks

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We will be closing this live page shortly. Here’s a recap of the day’s major developments:

• Saudi Arabia extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport until Saturday after a series of deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
• Saudi air defences intercepted missiles targeting Riyadh and two ballistic missiles fired towards Khamis Mushait.
• The kingdom has launched an investigation into possible failures of its air defence systems following deadly Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s airport, according to The Associated Press.
• US President Donald Trump said the Houthis are “misbehaving very badly”.
• A Houthi official warned of a “swift and painful response” if Washington joined the war in Yemen.
• Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck another supertanker attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via an “unauthorised” route.

The League of Arab States is due to hold an emergency session in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the international protection of Palestinians during increasing pogroms.

The request was made by Palestine’s permanent representative to the Arab League, Ambassador Mohannad Al-Aklouk, who told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that Israeli attacks constituted a systematic policy aimed at displacing Palestinian communities, expanding colonial settlements, and undermining the two-state solution.

Al-Aklouk said that pogroms in the occupied West Bank are increasingly organised and coordinated and represent “a dangerous phase in the all-out war waged by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people and their land”.

Tangible punitive measures, including sanctions against Israeli leaders, are needed to protect the Palestinian people, he added.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it targeted a cargo ship attempting to cross the crucial waterway for energy supplies on Monday using an “unauthorised route”.

IRGC’s navy said in a statement published on its Sepah News platform that “a supertanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz and caught fire”.

The ship tried to sail through the area “by disabling its transponders” and “by ignoring warnings from the Guards’ Navy”, it said.

Ali Ozmaei, the IRGC’s naval commander, warned last weekend that any vessel disabling its transponder to avoid detection while crossing the strait would be considered “hostile” and face a “severe” response.

The British maritime agency UKMTO also reported on Monday four separate incidents of vessels being hit in Hormuz the day before.

Palestinians have attended the funerals of three people killed in an Israeli air strike on a tent in Khan Younis the day before.

The attack came during mounting tensions over the Gaza “ceasefire” as Israel continues its genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave.

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Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation to determine how its air defence systems failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.

Two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press (AP) the initial probe showed the armed group in Yemen first fired multiple drones to pave the way for a mix of cruise and ballistic missiles to reach Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

The AP reported that Houthis possess ballistic missiles and advanced systems fitted with warheads that can change direction during flight and pose a challenge to Patriot interceptors and other defence systems used by the Saudis.

One of the officials said the investigation also aims to find out why defence systems did not provide earlier warning of the attack, in which the Houthi missiles and drones flew more than 1,000km (620 miles) to reach Riyadh.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says diplomatic efforts to achieve its national interests are “seriously” being pursued at the international level.

Araghchi said Iran’s foreign policy priorities include using economic diplomacy to end US and Western sanctions against Iran and strengthening media engagement, according to his Telegram channel.

Last week, Abbas said while Iran is determined to defend itself, officials are “serious” about using diplomacy to end the conflict with the United States.

Trump has criticised Yemen’s Houthis for their escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia.

“Well, the Houthis are misbehaving very badly. No good,” Trump told reporters when asked what he planned to do about the group.

His remarks come after a series of attacks on Saudi airports, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International and King Fahd International in Dammam.

Trump has previously said the US would consider whether to join Saudi Arabia in military operations against the Houthis, but has not announced a decision.

The civil aviation authority says the suspension at King Khalid International Airport has been extended to verify the safety of airport facilities and operational readiness.

A Notice to Airmen, an official advisory notifying flight and airport crews of disruptions, shows Riyadh’s airport will remain closed until 21:00 GMT on Saturday, according to the Reuters news agency.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted the main airport over the past week, killing at least 18 people and wounding hundreds of others.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree says the group attacked Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile and Khamis Mushait airbase near the Yemen border with a drone.

“Our armed forces successfully targeted King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, this evening with a ballistic missile. The strike was precise,” said Saree.

“The strike was direct” on the airbase, he added.

Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed the Houthis’ latest statement, but its coalition spokesman announced hours earlier that an unidentified number of missiles were “intercepted and destroyed”.

His comments come one day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on King Khalid airport that killed one person and injured 11 others. On Saturday, the Houthis launched another attack from Yemen, killing 13 people and wounding more than 300.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced missile strikes by Yemen’s Houthi group on the main airport in the Saudi capital that killed more than a dozen people in recent days.

“We strongly condemn the attacks carried out by the Houthis … targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” said Erdogan, speaking after chairing a cabinet meeting in Ankara.

He expressed condolences for those killed, including people performing the Umrah pilgrimage, and wished the hundreds of wounded a quick recovery.

“Turkiye stands with Saudi Arabia and our Saudi brothers and sisters in the face of these attacks that violate law and humanity. We want peace and stability across our entire region,” Erdogan said.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia over the past week. The Iran-aligned group is targeting civilian sites, including state oil facilities and several airports.

Saudi Arabia has promised “a decisive response” while also appealing to allies for support, with some countries pledging military assistance.

President Trump says the United States is “looking at” joining the fight.

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Lebanon’s Health Ministry has given updated figures on casualties from months of Israeli military attacks.

The number of people in Lebanon killed since the war began again on March 2 has increased to 4,389, with 12,424 wounded.

The total death toll from Israeli attacks on Lebanon since October 8, 2023 stands at 8,956, while 30,660 have been injured.

Yemeni government forces say they carried out 1,879 “targeting operations” against the Houthis as part of their “Dawn of Yemen” campaign to recapture Houthi-held territory across Yemen.

Government soldiers used combat aircraft, artillery, and rocket launchers to target Houthi positions, according to military spokesperson Majeed al-Nuzaili.

Al-Nuzaili said the attacks destroyed 380 military vehicles and thwarted the Houthis’ “attempts to support their positions and reorganise their forces”.