Trump considers strikes on Houthis after deadly Riyadh airport attack
An attack on Riyadh’s main international airport killed 12 people, including an Egyptian flight attendant, and injured 309 on Saturday, triggering threats of Saudi retaliation and raising the prospect of direct US military involvement.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation announced Sunday that the dead included four Saudis and eight residents of various nationalities, namely from Egypt, the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and Bangladesh. The injured, some of whom are in critical condition, are receiving medical care in hospital. The attack also caused material damage that is currently being assessed.
Mohamed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah’s political bureau, said that Ansar Allah carried out the attack in response to Saudi airstrikes targeting areas under its control in Yemen, including what he described as the targeting of civilian infrastructure.
The New York Times quoted Al-Bukhaiti as saying that the group wanted to send a message that airports, ports and civilian facilities in Yemen should not be military targets, and that the same rules should apply to similar facilities in other countries.
In a Sunday morning post on X, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree renewed warnings to shipping companies, aviation personnel and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace, declaring them active military targets, with the exception of the airspace surrounding Mecca and Medina.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to enforce reciprocal “equations,” including “airport for airport and blockade for blockade,” and held Saudi Arabia responsible for failing to prevent the attacks.
Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport following the attack, along with flight diversions and cancellations. The US Embassy in Riyadh also warned its citizens against heading to the airport and the surrounding areas.
The spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, said that the assault on the airport was a terrorist act, vowing a “firm response that complies with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.”
The coalition announced Sunday the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile launched toward Al-Kharj governorate, and also reported the fall of a projectile in the vicinity of King Fahd International Airport in Dammam in the eastern part of the kingdom, without announcing additional details regarding damage or losses.
Riyadh airport was subjected to other attacks over the past week, most recently on Thursday, resulting in fatalities and damage to a commercial aircraft belonging to Saudia parked on the airport runway, while previous attacks targeted airports in Riyadh and Abha.
The attacks disrupted air traffic, as airlines canceled flights to and from Riyadh, while the US Embassy announced tighter restrictions on US government employees using Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam airports, requiring prior approval for travel through them.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the attacks, saying that they reflect a “blatant disregard for innocent civilian life.” Rubio also confirmed the death of an American citizen in the strikes.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump said that Washington is studying the possibility of joining Saudi strikes against Ansar Allah. Speaking as he left the White House for an election rally in Tennessee, he added, “We just found out about the recent attack. So we’ll make a decision. We move very quickly.”
This followed Washington’s refusal last month to join the Saudi-Ansar Allah war after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested direct US military assistance. Trump declined, noting the Yemeni group had contacted him stating “they would much prefer not having us involved,” limiting US support to intelligence sharing and target identification.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, stressing that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure violates international law, and called for an immediate halt to the attacks.
Egypt strongly condemned the attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, with its Foreign Ministry stating Saturday evening that the assaults violate international law and disregard civilian safety. Affirming solidarity with Riyadh, Cairo backed Saudi measures to protect its security and sovereignty, alongside similar condemnations from other nations and regional organizations.
The escalation coincides with the resumption of fighting between Ansar Allah and Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia, following the collapse of the truce that had lasted since 2022. Government forces launched an attack last week to retake areas on the west coast, including locations near the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, after Ansar Allah took control of strategic areas overlooking the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes on locations under the group’s control, while Ansar Allah authorities said the bombardment resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children. It was not possible to independently verify the death tolls announced by both sides.
Ansar Allah expanded the scope of its threats to include Saudi airports, demanding that airlines avoid the kingdom’s airspace, and vowing to continue attacks as long as Saudi airstrikes continue.
Saudi Arabia has been waging war in Yemen since 2015, as part of a coalition that intervened to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government after Ansar Allah took control of the capital, Sanaa, the previous year. The truce announced in 2022 led to a decline in the intensity of fighting before confrontations renewed in recent months.