Saudi Crown Prince and Iraqi PM Discuss Regional Security Amidst Houthi Attacks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman met with Iraq's Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi in Riyadh on Wednesday. This marks the first visit by a foreign leader to the Saudi capital since a recent Houthi attack on its airport. The Saudi Press Agency released footage and images of the meeting.

The Iraqi prime minister's office stated that discussions focused on "the latest regional developments and co-ordination of efforts in a way that enhances the security and stability of the region." Saudi Arabia has experienced escalating Houthi strikes in the past week, including a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday that resulted in 13 fatalities. This was the deadliest attack on the airport, which has been targeted four times, in a decade. Authorities have closed the airport until October 17, leading to flight cancellations to Saudi Arabia. The mode of Mr. Al Zaidi's arrival was not specified.

Saudi Arabia entered Yemen's civil war in 2015 to support the government, driven by concerns over Iranian influence and potential border instability after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 maintained a fragile peace until this year. Last month, Saudi Arabia resumed its military campaign in Yemen, aiming to counter the Houthis' rapid advances along the Red Sea coast towards the crucial Bab Al Mandeb strait.

The Red Cross reported on Wednesday that hospitals in Yemen are struggling to manage a significant increase in war casualties due to intensified fighting on multiple fronts. The UN World Food Programme issued a warning that life-saving aid has been cut off to the government-held city of Taiz, which Houthi fighters encircled earlier this month. "WFP and its partners cannot access more than 600,000 people in Taiz who depend on humanitarian assistance, including more than 200,000 women and children," the WFP stated.