Between October 16 and 17, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted one ballistic missile targeting Yanbu, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea, and at least eight drones across the Riyadh, Eastern, and Southern provinces. These threats forced the temporary closure of Riyadh airport and caused airspace disruptions in Jeddah and Dammam. While officials later confirmed that dangers had passed in cities like Abha and Khamis Mushait, unconfirmed reports of a strike on a Red Sea oil pipeline near Yanbu triggered volatility in oil markets.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Saudi Arabia Seeks Foreign Military Help After 50% of Houthi Strikes Hit Unprotected Sites
War1 day ago
Turkey, Pakistan and several European nations are being approached by Riyadh to provide additional air-defense hardware and military personnel. Reports by the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post state that over 50% of recent attacks by Iran-backed Houthis targeted locations lacking air-defense coverage, even though the intercept rate exceeds 90% in protected zones. Because interceptor shortages prevent the kingdom from shielding every airport and oil facility, Saudi Arabia is expanding its search for assistance, while Egypt has also offered military help.
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