The Indian government has stepped up diplomatic and consular efforts to protect its citizens in the Middle East after a week of escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia killed an Indian national and drew a separate claim involving 14 Indians aboard a yacht in the Red Sea.

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that one Indian national was among the dead in a drone and missile attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on the night of October 21, and that two other Indians were injured. A separate strike on Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province injured another Indian worker. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong condemnation, calling the attacks on King Fahd International Airport and the Shaybah facility 'completely unacceptable' and expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty.

Yacht incident: 14 Indians reported safe

The Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed on October 22 that Saudi forces had targeted an Indian yacht carrying 14 Indian nationals near Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea, and that Houthi forces were conducting a rescue operation. The claim, attributed to the Houthis, had not been independently verified. The Indian Embassy in Yemen said it was ascertaining details and later reported that all 14 nationals were safe and located around Hodeidah, adding that it would continue to work to ensure their well-being.

New Delhi also voiced concern for thousands of Indian pilgrims and workers in Saudi Arabia amid the escalation. The hostilities between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia have intensified in recent months, with both sides striking each other's facilities and infrastructure. Saudi authorities have yet to publicly attribute the Dammam airport attack to any group.

Background: a long war widening its reach

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control large parts of the country, have been in conflict with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015. In recent months the group has repeatedly targeted Saudi airports, energy facilities and critical infrastructure with drones and missiles, disrupting Red Sea shipping lanes that are vital to Indian trade. Earlier this week, Iran's state television also reported damage to oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, deepening the sense of a regional security spiral.

For India, the escalation carries both human and economic stakes. Millions of Indians work in the Gulf, and the region is central to India's energy imports and shipping routes. The MEA has called for an immediate halt to strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure and expressed hope for an early restoration of peace and normalcy in the region.

What happens next

India's embassies in Riyadh, Jeddah and Sanaa continue to monitor the situation, with further advisories expected as the conflict develops. Analysts say the Dammam airport attack — striking an international airport in Saudi Arabia's eastern oil hub — marks a new intensity in the Houthi campaign, and New Delhi's public condemnation signals that it will not treat attacks endangering its citizens as a distant conflict.