Saudi Arabia says it intercepted 11 Houthi missiles and drones

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it intercepted missiles and drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis toward several Saudi cities on Sunday. According to the Saudi Press Agency, coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki said two drones and a ballistic missile were intercepted and destroyed as they headed for Riyadh.

Al-Maliki also said 10 ballistic missiles fired toward the southern region were intercepted, along with a cruise missile headed for Khamis Mushait. Al Jazeera reported that the barrage began on Saturday evening and that warning sirens sounded in Taif and Jazan.

Saudi Civil Defence said shrapnel from two intercepted ballistic missiles, suspected to have been fired by the Houthis, fell in Jeddah, Taif, Rabigh and Wadi Al-Mughammas in Mecca province.

The Houthis said in a Telegram post that they carried out seven military operations using ballistic missiles and drones. They named King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu among the targets, along with other airports and energy sites. Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Riyadh airport was a military target and renewed a warning to airlines, staff and travellers. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi called the strikes a grave violation of the sanctity of the Holy Sites, referring to interceptions in Mecca province. Al Jazeera reported that the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia group, have denied targeting Muslim holy sites in Saudi Arabia.

King Khalid International Airport said it was resuming operations on Sunday, with Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international routes. It had suspended operations after a strike on October 10 that killed at least 13 people and injured around 300, described by CNBC as the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Oil markets were also affected. CNBC reported that Brent crude gained 3.1% on Friday to close at $116.72 a barrel, its highest settlement since April 29, as the fighting and talk of possible new US-Israeli strikes on Iran raised concerns. The US has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.

In Yemen, Al Jazeera reported that the army said it carried out 736 strikes on Houthi positions in 24 hours. The Rasd Organization for Rights and Freedoms warned of a dire humanitarian situation in Taiz, under a Houthi siege since October 4.