Saudi, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Escalation as Houthi Attacks Hit Kingdom

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi discussed rising tensions in West Asia during a phone call on Sunday, amid intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Prince Faisal received the call from Araghchi and that the ministers discussed the regional escalation and efforts to address it. According to Al Jazeera, it was their first publicly reported contact since Yemen’s Houthi forces stepped up attacks against the kingdom.

The conversation came as King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted again on Sunday, following an earlier attack that reportedly killed 12 people and injured more than 300.

Saudi authorities said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4, triggering a fire. Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Malki also said air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile near the airport.

ONE INDIAN DEAD, THREE IN ICU

One of the 11 Indian nationals injured in the Riyadh airport attack has died, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said on Sunday. Three others remained in intensive care but were stable, while two were admitted to regular hospital wards. The remaining injured had been discharged.

Embassy officials visited all hospitals treating the injured Indians. The mission thanked Saudi authorities for their medical care and assured the affected families of assistance.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed condolences to the bereaved family.

“Deeply grieved at the loss of life of an Indian national in the Riyadh attack. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The Embassy will extend all possible assistance,” he wrote on X.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi identified the deceased as Mohammad Yousuf Ali, a Hyderabad resident travelling to Medina for Umrah. Owaisi said Ali’s wife and children were among those injured.

EMBASSY ISSUES ADVISORY

The Indian Embassy urged Indian nationals in Saudi Arabia to remain alert, stay indoors as necessary and follow instructions issued by local authorities through official channels.

It also advised them against circulating or reposting videos or news related to the ongoing events. The Embassy in Riyadh, the Consulate in Jeddah and services provided through VFS continued to operate normally, the mission said.

The Houthis claimed they carried out four operations using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones against Saudi airports and energy facilities over a 24-hour period.

The group named King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, the Shugadam gas facility and the Tanajib oil refinery in the Eastern Province as targets. The extent of damage at those facilities was not established in the reports.

The Houthis also warned airlines, workers and travellers against operating flights to Saudi airports, declaring Saudi airspace unsafe while making an exception for airports and airspace serving Mecca and Medina.

INDIA CONDEMNS ATTACKS; US WEIGHS RESPONSE

India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attacks, saying repeated strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure were unacceptable and must stop immediately.

“We stand in solidarity with the people and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in defence of their sovereignty, and hope that peace and normalcy return to the region at the earliest,” the ministry said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the Houthi strikes as showing a “blatant disregard for innocent civilian life” and reaffirmed Washington’s support for Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump said Washington was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

“We may. We’re going to look at it. We just found out about the recent attack. We will make a decision. We move very quickly,” Trump said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the deadly attack, stressing that assaults on civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law.

With inputs from ANI