Circuit Wire — a daily news update from the Circuit.
The US Mission to Saudi Arabia updated its security alert on November 3, saying Iranian-supported Houthis have attacked the kingdom, including civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, causing civilian casualties and major travel disruption. The alert says the attacks could spread beyond the current area.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh partially reopened on October 23 for domestic flights and some international flights run by national carriers. Some Riyadh-based flights operate from Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Qassim. King Abdulaziz International in Jeddah and King Fahd International in Dammam are operating with some delays and cancellations.
Land routes remain open, including the King Fahd Causeway to Bahrain and highways around Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. The alert lists rail and bus options from Saudi Railways, SAT and SAPTCO. Airports in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and the UAE were operating, and the embassy tells travelers to confirm status with each one.
We covered the first US warning and the departure order for non-emergency staff in October. The alert confirms that order has been in place since October 23. Government employees need Chief of Mission approval to use any Saudi airport. They may not travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border and need special authorization for Jizan, Asir, Najran, Qatif, Yanbu and Taif.
The alert adds a legal warning. Saudi authorities say filming or sharing information about counter-missile and drone activity, or impact sites, can create legal liability. US citizens have been detained for photographing government buildings, airports and impact sites.
For an aerial attack, the embassy advises staying away from windows, glass doors and debris, and following alerts from Saudi Civil Defense sent by cell broadcast. It also advises keeping phones charged with emergency numbers saved. The embassy's emergency line for US citizens is +966-11-510-3731.
Al Jazeera reported on October 12 that the attacks on Riyadh's airport were the deadliest assault on Saudi soil in more than a decade. It described them as part of an escalation in a new front of the wider war, after the collapse of a UN-brokered ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.
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