Saudi Arabia said it was shutting all land, sea and air borders with Yemen after accusing Iranian-backed Houthi rebels of a missile attack on its capital, as tensions escalated between the kingdom and Tehran.

Saudi accused Iran of war crimes on Monday after ballistic missile reportedly fired by the Shia rebels from Yemen hit near Riyadh's international airport.

It was the first attempted missile strike by the rebels to reach Riyadh and threaten air traffic, underscoring the growing threat posed by the conflict on Saudi Arabia's southern border.

"The kingdom reserves the right to respond in a timely manner to the hostile actions of the Iranian regime," Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi’s foreign minister, warned.

Tensions have been rising between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and predominantly Shia Iran, who are opposed in disputes and conflicts across the Middle East, from Yemen and Syria to Qatar and Lebanon.

Late on Sunday a helicopter carrying a prince and several senior Saudi officials crashed in Asir province near the Yemen border.