Key facts
- Black smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
- Saudi Arabia issued air-raid alerts for Riyadh.
- The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on the Saudi capital.
- The Saudi-led military coalition confirmed air defenses destroyed a missile targeting Riyadh and foiled other attacks.
- Saudi Arabia's benchmark index fell 0.5% on Sunday.
- China has privately urged Iran to help restrain the Houthis, following a Saudi appeal to Beijing.
Black smoke and flames were seen near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday, September 19, 2026, following air raid alerts issued by Saudi Arabia. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the smoke and flames in the vicinity of the airport. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on the Saudi capital using missiles and drones. The Saudi-led military coalition confirmed that its air defenses destroyed a missile targeting Riyadh and foiled other attacks. Saudi authorities have not yet commented on the incident. The confrontation has become another front in the broader conflict that followed US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected Saudi requests for direct US military intervention against the Houthis. Meanwhile, China has privately urged Iran to help restrain the Iran-aligned Houthis, following a Saudi appeal to Beijing, according to three Iranian sources familiar with the discussions. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index fell 0.5% on Sunday, led by declines in oil major Saudi Aramco and Saudi National Bank. The subdued sentiment spread across Gulf bourses, with Qatar's main index falling 0.9%.