Passengers bound for Saudi Arabia were stranded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Oct. 12, 2026, after their flights were canceled following a Houthi attack on Riyadh's international airport. (Credit: Piyas Biswas/AFP)
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Tuesday was marked by a sharp escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis, as both sides issued evacuation orders.
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the Houthis will have to “face the consequences” of their repeated attacks on the kingdom, Saudi state media reported, according to Reuters.
Earlier Tuesday, Saudi Arabia struck a facility belonging to the Yemen Oil Company near Sanaa, according to Houthi-run media, cited by AFP.
The Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, had ordered civilians to evacuate the fuel storage facility ahead of the strike, prompting them to rush to gas stations.
The Houthis had threatened to target Riyadh airport, a refinery in the Saudi capital and the Aramco headquarters in Dammam if Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa again. The threats had not been carried out by early Tuesday evening.
Why this matters
For several days, attacks between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis have raised fears of a broader regional escalation. Discussions are underway between Saudi Arabia and the United States over potential U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen, while efforts are being made to activate a defense pact involving Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad.
The war in Yemen could become a prelude to a potential strike against Iran, which is preparing for various scenarios and has threatened to retaliate. According to diplomatic sources cited by L’Orient Today on Monday, Iran has warned Gulf countries that it would target their vital infrastructure if the United States attacked it.
The volatile regional situation presents a significant challenge for Lebanon.
Against this backdrop, the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia advised French nationals on Tuesday to avoid travelling to Jeddah and Dammam “unless there is an imperative reason,” in a post on Instagram.
In the news
The Israeli army launched four strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday, in areas under Israeli occupation, while warning residents of northern Israel of a “wave of attacks” on the South.
Israeli airstrikes hit Wadi Hujeir (Marjayoun district) and Kfar Tibnit (Nabatieh). Later, they hit two houses near Wadi Slouqi and another near Doubeih Castle (Marjayoun).
Amid the escalation, President Joseph Aoun said Tuesday that the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel at the end of June had “limited the expansion of Israeli attacks,” while acknowledging that it was not “ideal.”
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Joe Rajji of the Lebanese Forces, speaking to a group of Arab ambassadors in Moscow on the second day of his official visit, said the Lebanese state was sovereign and that “no one negotiates on its behalf.”
In other news
- Salam discusses reconstruction in south Lebanon with Amal and Hezbollah MPs. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received a delegation of MPs from the Amal-Hezbollah alliance at the Grand Serail. They discussed the return of displaced residents and reconstruction in areas destroyed by Israeli attacks, including projects implemented by the Council for Development and Reconstruction under the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP). Salam said tenders for projects in south Lebanon were entering the awarding phase, with their value expected to reach around $70 million by the end of the year. Residents should begin seeing results on the ground in the coming months, he said.
- Iran prepares for possible renewed U.S. strikes, WSJ reports. Tehran is reinforcing sensitive nuclear and military sites and border areas, rebuilding its missile and drone capabilities, and threatening to strike U.S. interests and those of its Gulf allies, according to The Wall Street Journal. Iran reportedly believes Washington could launch new attacks after the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3.
- Saudi Arabia rejects Iranian mediation proposal over Yemen conflict. Riyadh has rejected a proposal from Tehran to mediate its conflict with the Houthis, according to sources cited by L’Orient Today. The move signals Saudi Arabia’s refusal to equate itself with the Houthis or recognize Iran’s role in overseeing Gulf security, the sources said.
- Court of Justice holds first hearing in 2013 and 2014 Beirut attacks. The court held an initial hearing Friday in the cases involving the Nov. 19, 2013, attack on the Iranian Embassy in Jnah and the Feb. 19, 2014, attack on the Iranian Cultural Center in Bir Hassan.
- Salam calls for continued investigation into explosives smuggling. The prime minister praised the Lebanese Army’s efforts during a meeting with Army Commander Rodolph Haykal following the seizure of explosives, allegedly linked to Hezbollah, in Dahr al-Baidar and the Qasr area of Hermel. Salam stressed “the need to continue investigations to identify all those involved, as well as the parties behind the smuggling operations, and refer them to the competent judiciary,” according to a statement from the Grand Serail.
