Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said the group would target the US and its interests across the region if Washington became involved in what he described as aggression against Yemen.
“If the US becomes involved in the aggression against Yemen, we will not deliberate over the decision to respond; rather, there will be a swift and painful response targeting the US and all its interests in the region,” he said.
Bukhaiti also warned employees and workers at Saudi oil facilities and airports to stay away from the sites, saying they had become legitimate targets.
The threats came as Saudi Arabia reportedly sought American support to counter sustained Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure, shipping and transport hubs.
The conflict between Yemen’s internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-backed Houthis reignited in July amid a wider regional war that has unsettled energy markets and increased instability across the Middle East.
Explosions were heard over Riyadh on Monday night. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a Houthi missile, while the group claimed it had again targeted the airport.
The coalition later announced that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Khamis Mushait, a city in southern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border that is home to a military base previously targeted in attacks.
The Houthis also claimed to have targeted the base with a drone.
Following Saturday’s deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
“The Houthis are misbehaving very badly,” Trump said on Monday, describing their actions as unacceptable.
He also said he would speak to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the situation. Airport operations remained suspended on Monday.
The Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said recent events had tested the kingdom’s infrastructure, institutions and resilience.
“The events of recent weeks are serious; our response must be equally serious,” he said at a conference in Riyadh.
The atmosphere in the Saudi capital remained tense, with authorities warning of aerial threats. A government alert sent to mobile phones on Monday evening warned residents of a hostile aerial threat before the reported interception of the missile.
The alert also delayed the start of a football match between Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana and Saudi club Al Nassr, which features Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Flights disrupted across the region
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia instructed American government employees to obtain authorisation before using airports in the kingdom and urged US citizens to exercise extreme caution when travelling by air.
The embassy also said American citizens had been detained for taking photographs of recent events in Saudi Arabia.
Etihad Airways cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until the following week and also suspended services to Dammam and Jeddah. Bahrain’s Gulf Air cancelled its Riyadh flights until Saturday, while Delta Air Lines delayed the launch of its planned direct service between Atlanta and Riyadh, scheduled for October 23.
Despite substantial investment in military equipment, Saudi Arabia has faced difficulties defending its extensive territory against repeated attacks on oil, military and transport infrastructure.
Thomas Juneau, a security analyst at the University of Ottawa, said the kingdom’s vast size made it difficult to defend every location consistently.
Saudi Arabia has led an international coalition supporting Yemen’s government since 2015, including military operations aimed at controlling Yemeni airspace and access to Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital.
Juneau said the Houthis now wanted to inflict on Saudi Arabia the kind of pressure Riyadh had imposed on them during the conflict.
The war has contributed to a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia but urged both sides to de-escalate, warning that continued fighting would deepen civilian suffering without bringing the conflict closer to an end.
