The facts
Saudi Arabia reopened its King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday, two weeks after it was closed due to attacks by Houthi rebels. Flights resumed, with flight tracking websites confirming aircraft movements. However, the exact cause of recent explosions heard in Riyadh remains officially unconfirmed by Saudi authorities. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued a warning, stating the airport is still an "unsafe" and "military target" for his organization, and that Saudi Arabia would be responsible for the consequences of reopening it. The BBC Hindi reported that the Houthi rebels had previously targeted the airport in multiple phases since a ceasefire broke down. An earlier attack this month resulted in 13 deaths and over 300 injuries, described as the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in a decade. The Saudi-led coalition claimed its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis, though it is unclear if this directly relates to the Riyadh explosions. No damage or casualties have been reported.
Our take
Well, what the fuck did they think was going to happen? The absolute cunts in charge over in Riyadh decided that two weeks was a perfectly reasonable mourning period for an airport that got turned into a fucking charnel house. Thirteen people dead, over 300 injured, the deadliest attack in a decade - and their brilliant, galaxy-brained response is to flip the ‘OPEN’ sign back on and hope the Houthis forgot their address. It’s the geopolitical equivalent of poking a hornet’s nest with a stick that just got used to beat your own ass. The flights are back, tracked by websites with all the cheerful obliviousness of a flight simulator, while on the ground, the Saudi authorities are still scratching their heads about what those recent ‘explosions’ might have been. Could be fireworks! Maybe a really enthusiastic car backfire! The sheer, cowardly refusal to just say ‘Yeah, they’re still shooting at us’ is a masterclass in bureaucratic piss-taking. Then, right on fucking cue, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree - a man who clearly doesn’t get invited to many Saudi dinner parties - drops a statement calling the airport ‘unsafe’ and a ‘military target.’ No shit, Sherlock. He basically said the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a target acquisition exercise and that Saudi Arabia owns whatever happens next. The Saudi coalition, in a stunning display of having their heads up their own asses, claimed they intercepted a ballistic missile. Great job, heroes. You shot down one projectile while inviting the enemy to use the entire airport as a fucking scoreboard. This isn’t resilience; it’s a suicide pact with a business-class lounge. They’ve turned a major international hub into a game of roulette where the chamber is always loaded, all to save face. Every passenger walking through those doors is a potential statistic because some princely dickhead decided pretending everything is fine is better than actually making it safe. It’s a staggering, arrogant fuck-up of epic proportions, and the only surprise is that the Houthis had to issue a warning instead of just sending a thank-you note for the clear shot.
