Kadyrov commented on the strikes on Riyadh airport.

American military bases in the Middle East should be targeted, and strikes on civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia "cannot be justified," said the head of Chechnya.

Ramzan Kadyrov made a foreign policy statement, commenting on a series of attacks on Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia.

These strikes were carried out by Yemeni Houthis from the organization "Ansar Allah" 1 on King Khalid International Airport on October 10 and 12. As a result of these attacks, at least 13 people were killed, and about 320 were injured.

"Among the injured are pilgrims from other countries heading to the holy Mecca. Deliberate missile strikes on civilian facilities cannot be justified by any arguments. They are devoid of any common sense – both politically and religiously," Kadyrov wrote on his Telegram channel.

In his impression, the actions of the Houthis "are purposeful and quite conscious in nature."

"If the Houthis decided to respond in this way to the military operation conducted by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, it would be more logical to direct their strikes at the corresponding targets. For example, at least the American bases located throughout the region," said the head of Chechnya.

Kadyrov added that attacks against "peaceful, defenseless people" "demonstrate neither courage nor strength." "No political disagreements and military confrontations can justify the death of innocent people," the post states.

Kadyrov on the Middle Eastern track

Ramzan Kadyrov's contacts with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud over the past ten years have included both apologies from the head of Chechnya and his declarations of "brotherly relations."

On November 27, 2017, SaudiaNews reported that during a meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Ramzan Kadyrov "apologized to his royal highness for the conference in Grozny, emphasizing that Salafists are people of the Sunnah, apologizing for any misunderstandings that arose."

This referred to the conference "Who are they – followers of the Sunnah?" held in Grozny in August 2016. At the event, a fatwa was adopted stating that true Muslims are recognized as only followers of the Sufi tariqa. Supporters of Salafism were labeled as dangerous sectarians in this fatwa.

At the end of March 2026, the Iranian state channel PressTV reported that Chechen military units announced their readiness to be transferred to Iran. A week later, Ramzan Kadyrov commented on these reports: "This could happen if Iran were only fighting against the USA and Israel. But they are also attacking our brothers."

Kadyrov emphasized that he "supports Iran's side, but does not support strikes on peaceful objects in Arab countries," as he is in "brotherly relations" with the leaders of the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

At the end of August, an international conference was held in Grozny, dedicated to the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia. It was part of a broader celebration in Chechnya of the 75th anniversary of Akhmat Kadyrov.

According to analysts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot," Kadyrov acts as an informal mediator in relations with Islamic states, but has little maneuvering room in building personal relationships with Middle Eastern leaders.