A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports this month has made travel across the Middle East increasingly unpredictable.

The latest strikes killed 13 people and wounded hundreds last Saturday, according to Business Insider, with another strike the following day killing one and injuring about a dozen more.

Flights to and from Riyadh have been suspended all week, and while the airport is set to reopen on Sunday, that reopening has yet to be confirmed.

The escalation comes amid an intensifying regional conflict, with the Houthis striking Saudi infrastructure in retaliation for its support of Yemen's internationally recognized government in the civil war that began in 2014.

Saudi Arabia possesses one of the world's most expensive and sophisticated arsenals — American F-15s, Patriot batteries and advanced radars — yet has appeared helpless against Houthi barrages, AP reported via Scripps News.

The kingdom is the world's top purchaser of American weapons, receiving 12% of all U.S. arms exports from 2021-2025 per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, and budgeted $83 billion for defense in 2026.

Analysts say the Houthis' battle-tested tactics, honed against Israeli air defenses since October 2023, let them over-saturate radars and exploit Saudi Arabia's vast territory and 800-mile border with Yemen.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing people briefed on Saudi and anti-Houthi-alliance intelligence, that Iran helped the Houthis carry out their most potent and sophisticated attacks yet by providing targeting intelligence, training and tactical guidance.

People cited by the WSJ said IRGC officers inside Yemen helped deploy missiles and radars threatening the Red Sea. Iran International notes the Houthis also seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and territory around Bab al-Mandeb in a September offensive, using fiber-optic-guided FPV drones.

Iranian officials deny involvement; a Houthi official said the claims exaggerate Tehran's role.

The casualties reported by different outlets vary and remain attributed: The Jerusalem Post says the Riyadh airport attack killed 17 and injured over 300, while Iran International cites Saudi officials saying at least 19 people have been killed in recent attacks across the kingdom, and the Saudi-led coalition says the airport was struck 20 times in October.

The US State Department has told Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia over missile and drone risk, and the UK Foreign Office warns of a heightened threat to airports including Riyadh, Jeddah and Abha. Delta postponed its new Atlanta-Riyadh route, due October 23, until March 2027.

The Houthis now control territory along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and have attacked Saudi oil tankers, energy facilities and a vital Red Sea export pipeline, according to reporting cited by Iran International and the WSJ.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly running low on interceptors and has reached out to allies, though a new joint defense pact with Pakistan and Turkey has so far seen both countries stay largely on the sidelines.

President Trump said this week he is evaluating whether the US should join Saudi strikes on the Houthis, and aviation-risk firm Osprey Flight Solutions warned further attacks on Saudi aviation and energy infrastructure are likely in the short term.

Saudi Arabia disclosed Thursday that the Houthis rejected an invitation to negotiations in Oman in July, according to Iran International, and analysts expect a Saudi response rather than a ground invasion.

Former US ambassador Michael Ratney told AP via Scripps News that the kingdom cannot refrain from striking back after what he called a brutal attack, but must also prevent the fighting from spinning out of control, with airstrikes and support for rival Yemeni forces likely as 'surrogate warfare.'

Travelers holding Riyadh bookings should check airline apps, as Delta has issued a waiver for travel between October 23 and March 26 allowing free changes or refunds.