Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)/Aden (Yemen)/Tehran (Iran), 25 October (H.S.): Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has renewed its warning to airlines, airport personnel and travellers to stay away from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, declaring the facility unsafe and a target for its fighters. The group has stated that its military objective is to destroy the airport.

The warning comes amid escalating regional hostilities, with the Saudi-led coalition claiming that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile approaching Riyadh. Debris from intercepted missiles reportedly fell in the Mecca and Jeddah regions, raising further security concerns across Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have also claimed to have carried out attacks on Saudi targets, while Yemen’s internationally recognised government has reported developments involving an attack on Aden and a claim by the Iran-backed group that it shot down a US drone.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, Iran’s military shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the aircraft as a US-developed LUCAS drone, short for “Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System”. The reported interception comes as fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East continue to intensify.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington could attack Iran as early as Sunday or reach an agreement with the Islamic Republic. According to The Wall Street Journal, aircraft aboard the USS George Washington carrier strike group were being prepared for possible military operations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for peace and stability in the Middle East, arguing that regional countries should work collectively to safeguard their security without external interference.

“Peace and stability must prevail in the Middle East, and regional countries should work together to establish them without external intervention,” Araghchi said. He described the conflicts of the past year and a half as a turning point, asserting that the regional situation would not return to what it had been previously.

Araghchi also criticised the presence of US military bases in the region, arguing that they had failed to provide peace or security and had instead contributed to insecurity. He said Iran would welcome initiatives that strengthened self-reliance among countries in the Middle East.

The Iranian foreign minister blamed Israel for fuelling regional conflict, accusing it of repeatedly obstructing efforts to establish peace and stability and of pursuing policies that intensified hostilities and weakened other countries. He argued that regional nations should work towards ending the presence of foreign military forces to secure their own peace and stability.

Addressing maritime security, Araghchi said neither Iran nor Oman had obstructed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he maintained, both countries had sought to ensure safe passage while protecting the marine environment. He added that the arrangements governing the strategic waterway would no longer remain as they had been in the past.

Meanwhile, Houthi fighters are advancing towards Jabal Sabir, a strategically significant mountain near Taiz in Yemen. According to the report, the fighters have surrounded the city and cut off the main road connecting it to Aden, the interim capital of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The United Nations has warned that time is running out to deliver humanitarian assistance to approximately 800,000 people trapped in the city. The deteriorating situation has heightened concerns about the impact of the fighting on civilians and the delivery of essential supplies.

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition has claimed that it intercepted a Houthi cruise missile over Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

The latest developments underscore the widening security crisis across the Middle East, as missile and drone incidents, threats against critical infrastructure and the possibility of further military action deepen fears of a broader regional confrontation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar