Houthi Rebels Attack Riyadh Airport and Claim No Conflict With Italy

Houthi Offensive Reaches Saudi Capital

According to reporting from ANSA and the Gazzetta del Sud, the strike marked an escalation as air raid sirens sounded across Riyadh in the middle of the night. Flames and a thick column of black smoke rose near the city’s aviation hub as firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze at an Aramco fuel storage facility. Residents described sudden panic as the explosions rocked the city. One local resident told Agence France-Presse, Ho sentito l’allarme, poi le finestre hanno tremato. Ho avuto davvero paura (I heard the alarm, then the windows shook. I was really scared). While international media noted significant flight delays and temporary cancellations at Riyadh’s international airport, traffic returned to normal by afternoon, and Saudi authorities avoided issuing an immediate official comment on the capital explosions.

Denial of Direct Conflict With Italy

The capital strike followed an incident on Friday when a projectile targeted an Italian Eurofighter aircraft stationed at the base in Taif. Addressing the regional military posture, Muhammad Mansur, a official for the Houthi information ministry in Sanaa, told ANSA that the group bears no hostile intent toward Rome. La nostra è una resistenza armata legittima di fronte alla prolungata aggressione saudita and non siamo in guerra con l’Italia e non intendiamo coinvolgere il vostro Paese, Mansur stated to ANSA, characterizing their campaign as legitimate armed resistance against Saudi military actions. However, he questioned the presence of foreign aircraft supporting the regional coalition, asking, Ma ci chiediamo cosa ci fanno gli aerei italiani in Arabia Saudita a sostegno della guerra di Riad contro di noi (We wonder what Italian planes are doing in Saudi Arabia supporting Riyadh’s war against us).

Regional Escalation and Diplomatic Strains

The widening conflict has also drawn a European response concerning maritime safety in the Red Sea. According to regional coverage, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas agreed with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on the necessity of bolstering the Aspides naval mission to protect commercial shipping transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Kallas reportedly prepared a formal missive to circulate among EU member states to secure broader participation. On the ground, fighting intensified across contested yemenite territories, where local reporting documented at least 48 deaths over a 24-hour period, including 31 Houthi fighters. Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faces the ongoing military campaign without direct tactical support from Donald Trump, as regional reporting indicates that Donald Trump has pursued alternative diplomatic avenues and dialogue with the Houthi movement to protect Western economic interests and stabilize soaring oil prices.