Flights stay suspended as safety checks continue

Saudi Arabia extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh's main international airport on Monday after a further round of Houthi missile attacks caused more damage and one death, according to the Gulf nation. The kingdom said Houthi missiles killed 13 people on Saturday and left more than 300 injured. Saudi state TV broadcast CCTV footage showing passengers deluged in smoke and falling masonry as they queued at the airport terminal.

The Saudi aviation authority said King Khalid international airport was being kept closed to complete verification of the airport's safety. The military spokesperson said further missile and drone threats had been detected. Schoolchildren and some office workers were advised to work from home.

An urgent review is under way into how Houthi missiles are repeatedly penetrating badly stretched Saudi air defences. Attacks since last month have destroyed a parked Airbus A320 at Riyadh airport, damaged at least five other aircraft and hit fuel tanks and warehouses.

The closure came as Saudi Arabia pressed ahead with the 25th WPC Energy Conference in Riyadh. Energy minister Abdulaziz bin Salman told the conference:

Diplomatic contacts over the Yemen war

Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, spoke to the Saudi foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan, on Sunday about Iran possibly mediating between the Saudis and the Houthis. The call came as the United States weighs possible involvement in Saudi air strikes against the group, which President Donald Trump said Washington might join.

A meeting of the UN security council in New York on Tuesday is expected to debate a resolution calling the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation.

Fighting and threats on the ground

Fighting continued in and around Taiz, with Saudi aircraft mounting eight separate strikes on any assembly of Houthi forces. As many as 60 fighters from both sides died on Sunday. The Houthis claimed the Saudis had mounted 124 raids through Sunday.

Taiz governor Nabil Shamsan on Sunday issued an urgent call to lift the Houthi siege, warning of a shortage of medicines for emergency surgical and intensive care services.

• •The Houthis have also targeted the city of Khamis Mushait
• •They have also targeted King Fahd international airport in Dammam
• •They have vowed to attack Saudi airports across the country

Who is mediating, and who refuses

Saudi Arabia is seeking to locate Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi but appears to lack contemporary intelligence on his precise whereabouts in Sana'a or Saada. Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has not been seen in public since Tuesday last week.

The Houthis, for their part, have vowed to attack Saudi airports across the country. The next step in the diplomatic track is the UN security council session in New York on Tuesday, where the resolution designating the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation will be debated.