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Iran-backed Houthis launched a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian airports through Sunday, reportedly killing at least 14 people, including an American, and injuring more than 300 others, according to reports.
The attacks heightened fears of a wider Middle East war as regional experts warned of “cross-domain escalation” amid heightened tensions over Washington’s September actions against Iran’s aviation sector.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for earlier attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, while U.S. officials blamed the Iran-backed group for Saturday’s strike, which reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
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Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said another attack on Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others. Meanwhile, an airport in Dammam, in the kingdom’s Eastern Province, was also reportedly targeted by the Houthis.
“Cross-domain escalation by Iran and its proxies will continue to be a primary strategy,” Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program and a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital on Sunday.
“The emphasis on aviation targets connects directly to the closing of Iran’s aviation sector and sanctions imposed on its commercial airlines under the U.S. maximum pressure campaign,” he warned.
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The Houthis also renewed warnings Sunday, urging airlines, airport workers and travelers to avoid Saudi airports as Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate for the deadly attacks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Saturday’s attack, confirming that an American was among those killed and calling for an immediate end to the violence.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, left open the possibility of U.S. involvement in Saudi Arabia’s military campaign against the Houthis, saying, “We may. We’re gonna look at it. We move very quickly.”
The escalation comes nearly three weeks after a senior Iranian official threatened to paralyze neighboring countries’ airports if they cooperated with U.S. efforts to restrict Iranian flights.
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Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned Sept. 23 that Iran would prevent neighboring countries’ airports from operating if they cooperated with Washington’s efforts to restrict Iranian flights, according to Reuters.
“This rapid targeting reflects earlier threats made by Iranian officials, including a veiled threat from the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warning that U.S. sanctions on Iran’s aviation sector would lead to retaliatory threats against neighboring aviation infrastructure,” Taleblu said.
Iran has long supported the Houthis, but the extent of Tehran’s involvement in the latest airport attacks has not been independently established.
The escalation has also renewed scrutiny of reports that Russia has provided intelligence and technical assistance to the Houthis.
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At a Sept. 1 House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing , lawmakers pressed experts on allegations that Russia is providing intelligence and technical support to the Houthis.
“Beyond offering diplomatic cover, there are persistent reports of Russian satellite collaboration, advisory support, and intelligence targeting assistance, as well as unproven allegations regarding select anti-ship systems.”
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But he also linked the latest attacks to a broader military escalation as the Houthis expand their territorial control in Yemen.
“This surge did not occur in a vacuum,” Taleblu said. “Since April, the Houthis have made territorial gains and pushed back against Saudi forces despite a period of diplomatic lull.”
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“Airport attacks allow Iran and its regional proxies to inflict pain on Arab states, Israel, and remaining U.S. forces,” Taleblu said.
