The Breakfast Table

Earlier report · Published 10 Oct 2026

Yemen's War Reaches Saudi Arabia's Capital

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

An attack on Riyadh's main airport killed 12 people. President Trump says America may get involved.

Airports are supposed to be busy, ordinary places. On Saturday, the main airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was attacked. Saudi officials said 12 people were killed and 309 were hurt.

The likely attackers are the Houthis, a rebel group backed by Iran that has controlled the north of Yemen, Saudi Arabia's southern neighbour, since 2014. On Thursday they said they had fired a missile at the same airport, and warned airlines to stay out of Saudi skies.

Their attacks answer a new fight inside Yemen. Since October 4, Yemen's Saudi-backed government has been trying to take back Houthi land.

Asked whether America would join in, President Trump said, "We may. We're going to look at it."

Why it matters

Yemen's coast lines one of the world's busiest sea lanes. Ships carrying oil and goods between Asia and Europe squeeze through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb strait. With the Iran war closing another route, the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has been sending its oil out this way. Fighting near the strait can make fuel and goods cost more far from Yemen.

Earlier report · Published 14 Oct 2026

Yemen's War Reaches Closer to the US

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

President Trump says he is thinking about joining Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.

Yemen is a country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Its government is fighting a rebel group called the Houthis, who get help from Iran. Saudi Arabia, Yemen's neighbour, backs the government. Last week the war spilled over the border into Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday the Houthis struck the main airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital. Saudi Arabia says at least 12 people died and at least 309 were hurt. The dead included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and one American. The airport is still shut. Saudi Arabia says it faced a new barrage of drones and missiles on Monday.

Now other countries may join in. President Trump says he is thinking about it. The Houthis say the United States would face a swift and painful answer. The Saudi side wants to push the Houthis away from Yemen's Red Sea coast. The UN says more than 217,000 people have been forced from their homes on that coast.

Why it matters

A wider war around the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait could draw in more countries.

Earlier report · Published 17 Oct 2026

Airports Become Targets in Yemen’s Widening War

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

Saudi officials say attacks on airports from October 6 to 11 killed at least 20 people.

Saudi Arabia is in a fight with the Houthis, a group that controls Sanaa and parts of north-west Yemen. Yemen is the country just south of Saudi Arabia. A truce set up by the United Nations in 2022 mostly held for years. It has now collapsed.

The Houthi leader calls the attacks tit-for-tat. He says the policy is “airports for airports, ports for ports.” That came after Sanaa’s airport was hit. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government says that strike aimed to stop an Iranian plane from landing there.

Saudi aviation officials counted at least 20 deaths and 356 injuries at airports between October 6 and 11. The worst strike hit Riyadh’s main airport on October 10 and killed at least 12 people. On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it stopped a missile fired toward Riyadh.

Why it matters

When airports are hit, families, workers and aid flights far from the fighting are affected.

Earlier report · Published 21 Oct 2026

Oil Near $110 as Houthis Claim New Strikes on Saudi Arabia

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

Ships carrying oil through the Gulf have thinned out.

The Houthis, an armed group from Yemen, said on Monday that they had attacked Saudi energy, airport and military sites, including an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Shaybah oilfield and Riyadh's airport. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed this, and Reuters could not verify it.

The oil market reacted. Brent crude, the benchmark price for oil, settled at $109.55 a barrel on Monday and was near $110 on Tuesday. Kpler, a data firm, says crude flows through the Gulf region averaged about 8.5 million barrels a day last week, down from more than 20 million the week before.

Governments are reacting too. President Trump signed an order waiving some sanctions and tariffs on Russian energy exports, which analysts said did little to ease the Gulf disruption. Egypt says it is ready to support Saudi Arabia, but its parliament put off a vote until October 26.

Why it matters

Oil is traded worldwide, so danger near big producers can raise fuel prices for families everywhere.

Earlier report · Published 25 Oct 2026

Oil Reaches Its Highest Price Since April

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

Saudi Arabia partly reopens its capital's airport as attacks go on.

Oil is a fuel that ships carry all around the world, and its price is quoted per barrel. On Friday, Brent crude, a main world price, closed at $116.72 a barrel. That was its highest closing price since 29 April, and it rose 6.2% over the week.

The price rose because traders were worried. The Houthis, a group in Yemen, keep attacking Saudi Arabia, a giant oil seller. Traders also worried about a reported oil spill near the United Arab Emirates and the chance of new US strikes on Iran.

The attacks have also hit Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Its main airport had been shut for about two weeks. On Sunday, two terminals opened again, one for flights inside the country and one for flights abroad. The same day, Saudi forces said they stopped a missile and a drone aimed at the city. The Houthis called the airport a “military target.”

Why it matters

Many countries buy oil from the Gulf. When supply there is at risk, petrol and food can cost more far away.

Earlier report · Published 28 Oct 2026

Oil Stays Above $114 While Attacks and Talks Go On in the Gulf

The Breakfast Table · Ages 9–11

Saudi Arabia says it stopped more drones as three countries meet Iran's leaders.

Oil is the raw material for petrol and diesel, so its price ends up on the signs at filling stations. On Monday a barrel of Brent crude, the price many countries follow, closed at $115.81. Early on Tuesday it was $114.68.

Part of the reason is a fight in the Gulf region. The Houthis, an armed group in Yemen, keep attacking Saudi Arabia, which sells a great deal of oil. Saudi Arabia's allies said they destroyed three drones aimed at the capital, Riyadh, and southern areas on Monday.

There is also some diplomacy. On Monday, senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met Iran's leaders in Tehran, and Iranian state media said they agreed to keep talking. Buyers are watching the Gulf closely.

Why it matters

Dearer crude can mean dearer fuel, and fuel is part of the cost of getting food and families around.